New Hampshire's nonprofit community hospitals provided more than $360 million in direct patient care services and outreach in 2007, according to a report by the New Hampshire Hospital Association.
The report - "Community Needs, Community Benefits: Hospitals and Health Systems in New Hampshire" - describes examples of hospitals' programs and services which address various health needs that are unique to different communities across the state.
"This report demonstrates how nonprofit hospitals in New Hampshire work tirelessly outside the walls of their facilities to keep people healthy and to meet community needs," said NHHA president Steve Ahnen.
The report explains New Hampshire's community benefits law, which outlines the process healthcare charitable trusts must follow to identify and respond to the needs of their individual communities.
Hospitals conduct a health needs assessment survey with input from the public. The hospitals' boards of trustees then develop a community benefits plan that determines the strategies for meeting those needs.
Ahnen said New Hampshire hospitals often partner with local organizations to provide leadership and financial support to address community health priorities.