MeritCare Community Benefit
MeritCare's mission is to improve the health and quality of life of the people we serve.
Community Benefit Philosophy
We are accountable to those we serve for the resources in our trust and for working in partnership with others to achieve shared goals in improving health and quality of life of our communities.
Our mission to improve the health and quality of life of the people we serve goes a step further; we also reach out to meet the broad health needs of communities. As a not-for-profit system, we take seriously our community-benefit responsibility. Always, we begin with questions: What is the need? What is currently in place to meet the need? What would truly help? We strive to identify community needs beyond basic health care, then respond to them, aiming for a positive, life-enhancing difference in the community.
Community Connections
We also offer a Community Connections program, a group of community-focused initiatives specifically intended to devote resources and energy to improve the quality of life for those we serve. Examples include the
Parish Nurse Ministry Program,
Living Well Workshop and three youth-focused programs:
Adopt a School at Roosevelt Elementary School in Fargo,
Celebrate Kindness and
Youth Medical Experience. Since the mission of United Way is similar to MeritCare's mission, we also support
United Way in the communities we serve.
Community Care Program
MeritCare’s Community Care Program provides discounted and free services to patients who lack the resources to be fully responsible for the healthcare they receive. The Community Care Policy is designed to ensure the entire community served by MeritCare has access to needed healthcare services. Learn more about the
Community Care Program 
.
Community Investment
MeritCare provided over $42 million in community benefit services during fiscal year 2006. Quantified community benefits include the unpaid costs associated with providing traditional medical care services mostly through public programs and special populations. Benefits that can be quantified also include a wide range of community service activities that extend beyond basic medical care.
Community Benefit Annual Report
Community benefit is much more than funding and statistics. It is about lasting partnerships and the ability of health care to be responsive to identified community needs. The real impact of the mission focused services that hospitals provide is a healthier community. As can be seen in our report, there are many significant ways that MeritCare is partnering with you in your journey of health and healing. Read the
MeritCare Annual Reports.
Community Health Education
MeritCare provides Community Health Education in these topic areas: American Heart Association CPR for Family and Friends, CPR for Day Care Providers, Pulmonary Inspirations and First Aid courses. We offer a complement of courses for new families such as, preparing an older sibling, how to care for a newborn, infant massage, breastfeeding, Lamaze International prepared childbirth classes, car seat safety, and a Parents Fair that covers a variety of parenting topics from newborn to teen health issues. Find out more about these
educational opportunities.
Spiritual Care Services
MeritCare
Spiritual Care Services addresses spiritual and emotional care as integral parts of the healing process.
Research
As a research institution, MeritCare draws physicians and health professionals who are committed to seeking new treatments and preventive measures. In four areas in particular, cancer, heart disease, neuroscience, and neonatology, MeritCare specialists have excelled and published articles in national journals. In 1997, research at MeritCare regarding the possible danger of the diet drug fen-phen led to nationwide concerns and removal of this drug from the market.
Find out more about the studies performed at MeritCare.
Donation Policy
MeritCare supports health-related projects or services in addition to annual contributions to the United Way. Read our
donation policy.