Laying the groundwork for a successful community benefit program begins with two steps. The first step is to establish or renew a commitment to community benefit so the entire organization is ready culturally and philosophically. The second step is to build basic structures that will sustain the program: staffing, partnerships, a budget and policies. Establishing a commitment to working for optimal health for all in key organizational documents (i.e., mission and values statements, strategic and organizational plans, and policies) aligns purpose and activities across the organization with community benefit. This commitment elevates the importance of the organization’s work to improve the health and well-being of the community
Mission, Culture and Leadership
The organization's history, mission, vision and values statements set the framework for the community benefit program. Additionally, operational, financial and communication plans lay out the specific strategies and resources that will be used to achieve strategic goals and community benefit goals. How the goals are implemented and monitored contributes to culture. Hospital leaders and governing bodies are responsible for ensuring the organization responds to community needs and complies with government requirements related to community benefit.
Improving Community Health through Hospital — Public Health Collaboration: Insights and Lessons Learned from Successful Partnerships, Commonwealth Center for Governance Studies, 2014. This resource lays out a set of recommendations intended to assist hospital, public health, other community leaders and policymakers develop strong partnerships devoted to improving community health.
Poverty in America, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, part of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Principles for Good Governance and Ethical Practice, 2024
Creating Effective Hospital-Community Partnerships to Build a Culture of Health, Health Research & Educational Trust and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Factors Influencing the Success of Collaboration, Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities
Structures, Policies and Processes
Community benefit requires a multi-disciplinary team to ensure compliance with both mission and policy imperatives. Each hospital and health system is unique, and the structure of its multidisciplinary teams will vary based on size, organizational structure and areas of responsibility. However, there is agreement that a point person should be named and be responsible for the community benefit program, with the understanding that other individuals from throughout the organization will also be involved.
Community benefit requires governance practices, resources, and organizational policies that support the program and encourage commitment to access and community health.
Checklist for Hospital Policies and Practices
Community Benefit Inventory Template
Sample Community Benefit Orientations — for leaders and front line staff
Competencies needed by community benefit professionals include:
- Experience carrying out community benefit and/or public health and community health improvement initiatives, particularly assessment and program planning, implementation and evaluation.
- Understanding of public health, such as knowledge of health status of populations, health disparities, determinants of health and illness, prevention and health promotion strategies.
- Ability to work collaboratively with community members and other organizations.
- Ability to work collaboratively with the other departments or groups in the organization that are essential to carrying out the organization’s community benefit work, including finance, planning and communications.
- Ability to use technology to increase effectiveness of community benefit efforts, including use of Web-based public health resources in assessment and planning, software for tracking and reporting community benefit and social media to share information about the organization’s community benefit work.
- Knowledge and experience in working with minority and vulnerable populations.
Patient Friendly Billing® project, a nationwide initiative to make financial communications to patients clear, concise and correct