Dignity Health hospitals in Bakersfield, Calif. — which include Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, Mercy Hospital Downtown and Mercy Hospital Southwest — provided more than $119 million during the previous fiscal year to help underserved communities, the Bakersfield Californian reported Oct. 26.
The money was directed toward those who are unable to afford medical necessary care, unreimbursed costs of Medi-Cal, community health improvement services and other community benefits, according to the report.
"Dignity Health provides emergency medical care and medically necessary care in our hospital facilities to all patients, without regard to a patient's financial ability to pay," the San Francisco-based health system said in an Oct. 26 news release shared with the Californian. "Our hospitals have a financial assistance policy that describes the assistance provided to patients for whom it would be a financial hardship to fully pay the expected out-of-pocket expenses for such care and who meet the eligibility criteria."
Dignity Health operates 40 acute care facilities across California, Nevada and Arizona. The group employs approximately 60,000 people, with 10,000 physicians.