Reports to the Community

Virginia Mason leads by example in safety, quality and transparency.

Virginia Mason Franciscan Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest faith-based, nonprofit health systems in the United States. Because of this culture, we have the commitment and ability to go beyond the provision of quality health care.

• How We Serve Our Community: Virginia Mason Franciscan Health Annual Snapshot

Through our healing ministry, we endeavor to create healthier communities. We’re committed to reaching new milestones in clinical quality so that we can help our patients achieve their best possible health.

We help protect vulnerable and underserved populations through our health care services, open to anyone regardless of their ability to pay. We act responsibly to safeguard the environment.

For more information, review our annual reports:

• Virginia Mason earns an ‘A’ in the fall 2019 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade and is one of only 36 hospitals in the nation to have received the highest grade possible in every grading cycle since the Leapfrog program began in 2012.
   
• Virginia Mason receives the Most Wired award for the eighth straight year for using information technology to support and improve the delivery of care.
   
• 2019 Leaders in Health Care: Washington Health Alliance Community Checkup Award  — The Community Checkup uses the Washington State Common Measure Set for Health Care Quality and Cost, a tool established by state legislation to enable the tracking of such elements as access to primary care, acute care, disease prevention and chronic care.
   
• Virginia Mason is ranked No. 44 among 226 hospitals in the United States included on the 2019 list of the World’s Best Hospitals compiled by Newsweek.com

Virginia Mason is committed to helping improve the health and wellbeing of Puget Sound-area communities where patients live and work. The organization supports these Community Benefit efforts by contributing time, energy and funding to activities that improve health and provide free and subsidized care.

In 2019, Virginia Mason served nearly 205,000 individuals in its hospital and nine medical pavilions. Virginia Mason’s Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) service area encompasses the communities where its facilities are located and where 74 percent of its patients reside, which includes King, Snohomish and Kitsap counties.

Last year, much of this work involved supporting other nonprofit organizations with missions that mirror CHNA priority areas. These identified health needs, which Virginia Mason’s Community Benefit activities are focused on through 2021, include:

• Access to care and transportation
• Housing and homelessness
• Access to affordable and healthy food
• Access to vaccinations and screenings
• Firearm violence prevention

Unlike for-profit businesses that pay dividends to shareholders, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health reinvests its “profit” to sustain or expand programs, upgrade technology, and replace facilities as needed. Our primary shareholders are the communities we serve.

We provided $196 million in community benefit, a broad category of free and subsidized programs (i.e., health talks, educational programs, community-building events, charity care, etc.) that support our mission.

We serve everyone, regardless of their ability to pay, as part of our healing ministry. We provided $25 million in charity (free and reduced-cost) care for individuals who could not afford to pay for needed medical services.

Our organization also pays federal, state and local taxes. Being a nonprofit does not mean tax-free. Virginia Mason Franciscan Health’s tax bill totaled $128 million in fiscal year 2018.

While we receive some tax exemptions as a nonprofit organization, we always give more than we receive. The community benefit (including charity care) we provided exceeded our tax exemptions by $119 million.

As a nonprofit organization, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health must be financially strong, and a good steward of limited resources, to be a viable business and support its mission to create healthier communities. The following information is for fiscal year 2018 (July 2017–June 2018).