Virginia Mason believes in contributing to the communities where patients and staff work and live. We act on this belief by contributing time, energy and money to efforts that benefit the community in the areas of improving health, providing free and subsidized care, and supporting health professionals’ education and research.

Community Health Needs Assessment

Virginia Mason conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years. Our CHNA drives our community work and serves as a guideline to help us achieve three basic goals:

  • Improve the community’s health status and overall quality of life
  • Reduce health disparities within the community
  • Increase access to preventive services

In 2013, Virginia Mason partnered with other King County hospitals and Public Health — Seattle & King County to form Hospitals for a Healthier Community (HHC). HHC develops a shared, county-wide CHNA every three years, and is developing collaborative programs to comprehensively address community health issues.

Community Health Needs Assessment 2019
Community Health Needs Implementation 2019

Subsidized Health Services

Every community needs certain health care services that typically cost more to deliver than the provider of the services receives. These ‘subsidized health services’ are part of Virginia Mason’s mission because they are needed in the community and otherwise would not be available to meet patient needs. They include:

Community Health Improvement Services

Improving health and quality of life extends beyond diagnosis and treatment. It also requires community health education and outreach services. Health improvement and outreach services provided by Virginia Mason include:

Education

Virginia Mason strongly supports medical education to ensure our patients and the community benefit from advances in medical care:

Uncompensated Care

As a nonprofit organization, Virginia Mason is committed to serving patients who are uninsured, underinsured or otherwise unable to pay for their medical care.

Research

Virginia Mason provides support for medical research at Benaroya Research Institute at Virginia Mason (BRI). BRI is committed to finding causes and cures for autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and immune system diseases such as allergies and asthma. BRI's world-renowned scientists are dedicated to predicting, preventing, treating and ultimately eliminating these lifelong, chronic diseases. BRI also oversees all clinical research at Virginia Mason supporting clinical investigators in studies across a wide variety of diseases and conditions that helps advance medicine for Virginia Mason patients and many others. Virginia Mason also assists with BRI’s support of key patient advocacy organizations that help people live with autoimmune diseases, allergies and asthma. Together, Virginia Mason and BRI work to improve people’s lives through remarkable care and exciting medical advances.

Strong Partnerships

Community benefit work is accomplished through various partnerships with an array of nonprofit organizations throughout King, Kitsap and Snohomish counties, including:

  • Alliance for Gun Responsibility — Works to end the gun violence crisis in our community and to promote a culture of gun ownership that balances rights with responsibilities
  • International Rescue Committee — Provides opportunities for refugees, asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, survivors of torture, and other immigrants to thrive in America
  • Mary’s Place — Provides safe, inclusive shelter and services that support women, children and families on their journey out of homelessness
  • Plymouth Housing — Works to eliminate homelessness and address its causes by preserving, developing and operating safe, quality, supportive housing and by providing adults experiencing homelessness with opportunities to stabilize and improve their lives
  • Red Cross — Prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors?
  • Refugees Northwest — Supports refugees and asylum seekers – who are survivors with a great resilience, skills and gifts – move toward health, seek justice and find hope
  • Seattle/King County Clinic — An annual, four-day, volunteer-driven clinic that provides free dental, vision and medical care to people who struggle to access and/or afford health care
  • Solid Ground — Works to end poverty and undo racism and other oppressions that are root causes of poverty

Environment

Virginia Mason is committed to providing the highest quality health care while preserving the natural environment for our community — now and for future generations. This important work, which is done through our organization-wide EnviroMason program, includes:

  • Meeting or exceeding all environmental laws and regulations
  • Conserving energy, water, materials and other resources
  • Minimizing waste through source reduction, reuse and recycling programs
  • Continually increasing our purchases of environmentally preferable and/or local products and services
  • Empowering our employees to innovate in ways that reduce our environmental impact
  • Educating our patients, team members and community on the environmental and health benefits of sustainability

Information

For more information about community benefit at Virginia Mason, contact:

Doug Baxter-Jenkins
Community Integration Program Manager
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health
douglasbaxter-jenkins@chifranciscan.org
253-944-7504