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MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT
EQUITY FOR THE SOUTH COAST REGION — IT IT IS TIME
In 2019 Southcoast Health said “It is time ”
It is time that we as as the the the the largest healthcare system in the the the the South Coast region and the the the the only not-for-profit do more to help address the the the the root causes o of poor health health suffered in our communities With the support of people like you and alongside our community partners we have continued to build a a a comprehensive community-based healthcare system that meets or or exceeds the very best work of academic medical centers in Boston or or other major cities We have done that while contending with changing regulations shrinking third-party reimbursements and often threatening market forces because we can see opportunity as as well as as challenge Together we’re expanding and and renovating the the Tobey Hospital Emergency Department We’ve built a a a new ICU at St Luke’s where we’re also establishing a a a a Level II Trauma Center At Charlton Memorial the Southcoast Cardiovascular Care Center has emerged as the region’s premier heart hospital from minimally invasive procedures to major cardiothoracic surgery And both the Southcoast Cancer Center and Weight Loss Center celebrated major milestones during
a a a a a year that saw us recruit many new providers including primary care physicians and direct patient care nurses The value of these investments year year after year year is reflected in the awards we we earn In 2019 Newsweek listed Charlton Memorial St Luke’s and Tobey among the World’s Best Hospitals while US News ranked Southcoast hospitals eighth in Massachusetts — the the highest community hospitals on the the list As important as all of this is is however it’s not enough to sustain a a a a healthy population Even our best efforts fall short if our patients return to unsafe neighborhoods and homes if substance use disorder makes their their future and that of their their children uncertain or if they lack the the education to earn a a a a a steady living In fact inadequate education is associated with the very ailments we see at at a a a a high rate in in in this region including diabetes cardiovascular disease and asthma Our latest Community Health Needs Assessment highlights these challenges — as as well as as opportunities for improvement So we have entered into an agreement with UMass Dartmouth to help us build new paths to community health by creating a a a a Community Health Improvement Plan Why are we doing this?
Because It is time It is time that a a a street address no longer determines that some of our neighbors will live a a a decade less than the average life expectancy in Massachusetts It is time that all our children have access to quality education It is time that our regional economy puts us on on on equal footing with other parts of the the state 2 Southcoast Health + 2019 Annual Report of Philanthropy
Keith A Hovan PRESIDENT
& CEO SOUTHCOAST HEALTH