Resources

• "A Community Benefit Reporting Toolkit for Critical Access Hospitals" recommends ways that private, non-profit hospitals that are required to submit a Form 990 and its new Schedule H to the IRS can track, calculate and report their community benefit information. Applicable to all non-profit hospitals: [PDF].
  
  
• Lyons Software presentation on what community benefit is, what counts, why collect, track and report, and telling your story: [PDF].
  
  
• The American Hospital Association provides this resource to help hospitals take info from their Schedule H and combine it with relevant stories and details to ensure the full scope of their community benefits are captured and communicated: [PDF].
  
  
• "A Quick Start" Guide for the Hospital Coordinator: [DOC].
  
  
• Occurrence form: [DOC]. From the Catholic Health Institute, this form can be used to document and report statistical and financial information for each community health service.
  
  
• Community benefit tracking form: [DOC]. Complete this form for each event, service or program.
  
  
• Standard community benefit disclosure footnote: [PDF]. This statement, approved by the MHA Finance Committee, can be included in hospitals' audited financial statements to clarify the community benefit services provided by the hospital.
  
  
• "MHA Categories of Community Benefit Activities and Programs," [PDF] can help you in filling out the MHA community benefit survey. It relies primarily on CHA/VHA standard reporting definitions along with Minnesota state reporting definitions.
  
  
• "Community Benefit Reporting, Guidelines and Standard Definitions for the Community Benefit Inventory for Social Accountability," [PDF]. In an effort to achieve a national standardized approach for not-for-profit health-care organizations, the Catholic Health Association and VHA have provided this guide that includes standardized community benefit categories, definitions and reporting guidelines. For more information, visit this CHA community benefits Web page.
  

Questions about community benefits may be directed to either Matt Anderson or Jonathan Peters at MHA, (651) 641-1121 or (800) 462-5393.