ESCANABA -- The idea of needing medical care, but having no means to pay for it, can be daunting for anyone.
Thankfully, the OSF St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group is there to help, not just with health care, but also with figuring out how to pay for it.
"People are losing their jobs and losing their insurance and are having to rely on this service more than they have in the past," said Fred Wagner, OSF Finance Manager.
It's very unusual for a community hospital to provide free inpatient services, but doing just that has always been core to the sisters who run it. Their mission to help others means that people who are uninsured, but are in need of care, will not be turned away.
In 2001, the hospital did about $1.5 million in charity care, and that figure is expected to hit $7.5 million in 2011.
"There are very few people who have no insurance who don't qualify for some level of discount," Wagner added. "Ninety percent of the people who apply who have no insurance are going to receive some assistance."
There is no cap on the charity, and this has enabled families who were really in need to have even 100 percent of their hospital bill paid for. In addition to the charity, the hospital also has a separate foundation dedicated to raising money for hospital services and expansion.
"We've done a lot of good with people's gifts, and it really does make a tremendous difference," said Lanna Scannell, OSF Community Relations Manager.
More than $11 million has been raised through the foundation since it started in 1992. The OSF St. Francis Hospital has used the funds to renovate and expand their emergency room as well as put in a new dialysis center.
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