Specific Considerations for Hospitals
There are serious issues at stake for the delivery of health care to the community when a local nonprofit hospital converts. Many nonprofit hospitals provide emergency room services, making it possible for people to obtain medical care where and when they need it most. As part of their mission, many nonprofit hospitals provide charity care–free or reduced cost medical care to people unable to pay for it. Nonprofit hospitals also typically provide many valuable community programs such as support groups, intervention efforts and projects to reduce health problems in the surrounding areas. Finally, for as long as the hospital has been in existence, it has received contributions from the community, including time and energy from volunteers and monetary contributions from donors. Everything from the paper clips to the facility’s brick and mortar are part of the charitable assets of a nonprofit hospital. A nonprofit hospital, in essence, belongs to the community and this means there are additional considerations that must be made when a proposed conversion arises.