Connecticut Hospitals To Host Community Benefit Advocacy Day

On Tuesday, May 13, the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) is hosting a Community Benefit Advocacy Day at the state Capitol.  From 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. in the Nathan Hale Statue area on the east side of the first floor, policymakers, advocates, and the public are invited to join Connecticut hospitals and their local partners as they showcase some of the many ways they collaborate to serve and improve the well-being of our communities.  The event coincides with National Hospital Week, a time to recognize and celebrate hospitals’ and health systems’ commitment to supporting all patients, transforming care delivery, and advancing health equity.

During this expo-style event, legislators, officials, and stakeholders have the opportunity to learn about joint programs and initiatives that local hospitals and community partners have developed and deployed together to address upstream, root-cause social, economic, and environmental drivers of health.  Through this day of advocacy, hospitals will come together to highlight the many contributions to their communities and the potential to amplify their collective impact.

The role of hospitals is progressing beyond treating individuals when they are sick to addressing the structural factors that shape an individual’s health.  Community benefit programs, which encompass a wide range of services and connect patients to a variety of resources, are expanding access to stable housing, nutritious food, reliable transportation, diaper supplies, and steady employment, reducing disparities that lead to poor health and clinical outcomes.  To continue providing these essential services and achieve goals to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, hospitals are engaging with lawmakers to advance policies such as Medicaid redesign and fair Medicaid reimbursement.

Hospitals are reimagining Medicaid to invest in initiatives that prevent chronic disease and foster healthier communities into the future.  The Medicaid redesign framework scales these multi-sector health partnerships and rewards improvements in long-term prevention outcomes.

This week, the Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS) released its Hospitals’ Community Benefit Summary and Analysis Report for fiscal year (FY) 2023, which found that statewide investments in community benefit topped $2 billion, marking a total increase of 14.6% since 2016.  OHS is inviting the public to provide comments on the report by Wednesday, May 28.

CHA’s annual analysis identifies $3.5 billion in community investments by Connecticut hospitals in FY 2023.  Explore examples of Connecticut hospitals’ community benefit programs and initiatives by category here.

Click here to read CHA’s 2024 Community Benefit Report.

Click here to learn more about CHA’s Medicaid redesign framework.

Click here to download a flyer with details about the upcoming event.