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Tell Sharp: Improve Your Charity Care Now
Sharp has the largest share of the health care market in San Diego--yet it provides the least charity care, shirking its responsibility to the neediest patients. This flies in the face of Sharp's stated mission and its status as a non-profit hospital, which allows it to receive favorable tax treatment. That's why UNAC/UHCP is filing complaints with three state agencies, asking them to investigate Sharp and strip it of its non-profit status. Send an e-mail to Sharp executives expressing your outrage at this shameful situation and urging them to take action.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: It's Time for Sharp to Improve Charity Care
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I was outraged to hear about Sharp HealthCare's abysmal record on providing charity care to San Diego's neediest patients.
Your biggest competitor, Scripps Mercy, devoted 5.7 percent of its operating expenses to charity care in 2005. The University of California-San Diego Medical Center gave 3.55 percent. But Sharp Memorial gave only .57 percent to charity care, and Sharp Grossmont an even paltrier .4 percent. That's just shameful.
Even compared to for-profit hospital systems in California, which don't have a legal obligation to provide charity care, you rank dead last.
It's time for Sharp to improve its commitment to charity care. Please let me know what you plan to do to remedy this egregious situation.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
May 22, 2007
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A new report shows Sharp HealthCare has the largest share of the market in San Diego, but provides the least charity care, shirking its responsibility to the community.
United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, which represents 3,300 registered nurses at Sharp, is asking the state Board of Equalization, Attorney General and Controller to investigate Sharp and strip it of its non-profit status, which allows it to receive favorable tax treatment.
Sharp owns two of the four largest hospitals in San Diego, yet provides far less charity care than its two peers. Scripps Mercy devoted 5.7 percent of its operating expenses to charity care in 2005, while the University of California-San Diego Medical Center gave 3.55 percent. By contrast, Sharp Memorial gave only .57 percent to charity care, and Sharp Grossmont an even paltrier .4 percent.
Even compared to for-profit hospital systems in California—which don’t have a legal obligation to provide charity care—Sharp ranks dead last.
Here's how Chris McGovern, RN, the vice president of the nurses’ union at Sharp, sees it: “There are an increasing number of working people without insurance in San Diego. They have no safety net. The people who make the decisions about charity care have no contact with patients. But, as nurses, we hear the heartbreaking stories every day. This is another example of how Sharp does not partner with the nurses to meet the needs of its patients.”
You can read the full text of the complaint on the UNAC/UHCP website at www.unac-ca.org. Then e-mail Sharp executives and express your outrage.
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