San Joaquin Community Hospital dba Adventist Health Bakersfield

San Joaquin Community Hospital, DBA Adventist Health Bakersfield (AHBD), provides quality medical healthcare regardless of race, creed, sex, national origin, handicap, age, or ability to pay.Although, reimbursement for services rendered is critical to the operation and stability of San Joaquin Community Hospital, the organization recognizes that not all individuals possess the ability to pay for essential medical services.Adventist Healths vision is to enhance the health of the communities where we live and serve by engaging our communities and our patients in a new definition of and partnership for personal community health. In keeping with this commitment to serve all members of the community, the following coverage will be considered when individuals who need health care cannot afford to pay: Free care and/or subsidized care Care to persons covered by governmental programs at/or below cost Health/wellness activities and community education programsNot only does San Joaquin Community Hospital provide low-cost care to individuals covered by government programs, and those unable to afford healthcare, it also helps patients find and access private and governmental resources for healthcare benefits.AHBD recognizes below-cost reimbursement as charity and uncompensated care in meeting its mission to the entire community. The unreimbursed cost of providing care to these patients in 2023 was $72,488,875.The following Inpatient services were provided to all our patients:2,034 babies delivered3,410 surgeries performed68,335 patient days The following Outpatient services were provided to all our patients:70,697 emergency department visits6,248 outpatient surgeries performed189,679 outpatient visits 97,613 clinic visitsAHBD recognizes it has an obligation to provide human services above and beyond its role as a healing facility. Schedule H provides more details on the tangible ways in which the organization is fulfilling its mission. The total unreimbursed cost of these community benefits in 2023 was $36,255,451.Adventist Healths mission statement of living Gods love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope is coupled with a vision to transform the health experience of our communities through collaborative programs, community investments and community outreach. We are inspired by the healing ministry, as represented by the life of Jesus Christ, and believe we are called to live out our mission intentionally in the communities we serve. In the small towns, suburbs, and inner cities we serve, we continue our journey to provide quality healthcare until every person made in Gods image has experienced the best health today, hope for tomorrow, and Gods love that endures forever.To illustrate how we live our mission, let us share the following story:Language can be a barrier to healthcare for Sikh residents in Bakersfield. That's why the Sikh Women's Association is bringing both services and information directly to that community.Today we're holding a health screening. Also, we're educating the community on cancer care for men and women, Raji Brar, co-founder of the Sikh Women's Association said.On Sunday, a community health fair was held at Gurdwara Guru Dashmesh Darbar in Southwest Bakersfield in a partnership with Adventist Health.Brar said the Bakersfield Sikh Womens Association started holding these fairs every few months after they were brought to the attention of a community member who was dealing with cervical cancer, a form of cancer that is very preventable.We asked more questions and realized that a lot of women in our community weren't going in for certain cancer care. And a lot of that was due to cultural barriers, language barriers. When you have somebody who understands your language, it just puts you at ease and you're able to communicate with them more freely, Brar said.The fair provided free blood pressure tests and distributed information about cancer screenings and prevention with pamphlets written in Punjabi.We just started Kern county's first lung nodule and lung screening program where our goal is to catch lung cancer early, said Raymond Andreas, Nurse Navigator for Lung Oncology at the AIS Cancer Center. Andreas was at the fair, distributing information and encouraging people to take preventative measures.If you catch lung cancer between stages one and two, it's curable, you can beat it.Bakersfield residents who qualify for a non-invasive lung screening are those 50 to 80 years old, those who currently smoke or have quit smoking the past 15 years, and those who have a 20 pack-year smoking history.Now it's qualified and covered under insurance, just like it would be a mammogram. It's a preventative now and that's what we wanted, Andreas said.The fair provided information about cervical breast and prostate cancer as well.With hundreds of residents worshiping at the temple on Sundays, the reach was wide.We like to be able to go into where the community is. A trusted face, a trusted source. Its more comfortable when it's at your own place of worship at times, Brar said.Compassionate, high-quality patient care; life-saving and life-preserving medical and surgical services; advanced treatments in a community-based hospital; essential emergency services-these are the reasons we are in our community.Websites for our community benefit information: https://www.adventisthealth.org/about-us/community-benefit/