Impact of Philanthropy

As a Critical Access Hospital serving a largely low income, geographically-dispersed population with limited access to care, Livingston HealthCare fulfills a crucial role in maintaining the health of our residents and visitors as well as the health of our local economy as Park County’s largest employer.

Consider this scenario:

LHC has gross revenues of $30 million, with an operating margin (higher than most critical access rural hospitals) of 1.5-2% percent - equaling $450,000 in revenue annually. Given proposed cuts in Medicare, Medicaid and the potential repeal of the ACA, even this slim margin will be hard to maintain as dramatic changes to the healthcare system are enacted legislatively.

For this hospital, $1 million in philanthropic gifts is the equivalent of an additional $60 million in gross revenues because philanthropic contributions go straight to the bottom line. All philanthropic gifts are reinvested back into the community in the form of advanced technology, expanded medical services and health education and wellness programs. It is this difference that will allow Livingston HealthCare to maintain its margin of excellence that has resulted in so many national awards.

Additionally, for LHC like most critical access rural hospitals, it’s a lot more feasible to raise $1 million in philanthropic funds than to increase their gross revenues by $60 million.

For many of our patients who are living at or below (or even slightly above) Park County’s median income of $37,000, the lack of reliable transportation, inclement weather or the challenge of taking a day off for health screening often prevent travelling the long distances to access this advanced technology in other parts of the state. Our community needs to be assured that the care they receive locally through Livingston HealthCare is the highest quality available. Private philanthropy will make the difference in making that possible.