Phoebe’s voluntary Board of Directors approved a $530M budget for fiscal year 2018.  Despite millions of dollars in reduced funding from the federal government, a lack of Medicaid expansion in Georgia and uncertainty about healthcare reform, Phoebe’s sound financial footing enables us to continue to meet our mission of providing high quality healthcare services for all members of our community.
 
Our state and region are experiencing a significant shortage of registered nurses, making recruitment and retention a budget priority.  Increased funding for nursing departments and expansion of our creative nurse extern program are two staff highlights.  Additionally, all Phoebe employees will be eligible for a 3% merit pay increase.  At a time when most businesses are raising health insurance premiums by at least 5%, Phoebe employees will not experience a rate increase in healthcare premiums.  This is possible in part because of Phoebe’s award winning workplace wellness and fitness programs, making a huge difference in health plan cost reductions which are then passed along to the workforce.
 
The budget predicts over $45M in capital improvements, all while providing $65M in charity and indigent care for patients from Dougherty, Lee and surrounding counties.  “As a not-for-profit community hospital, we constantly invest in advanced technology, facilities and equipment to ensure our medical staff can provide our patients the best possible care,” said Brian Church, Phoebe Chief Financial Officer.  “As this region’s tertiary safety net hospital, our board challenges us to assure we are always here for those in need regardless of their ability to pay,” Church said.
 
Phoebe has always been, and will continue to be, an excellent corporate citizen of Albany and Dougherty County.  In FY18, we expect to pay nearly $867,000 dollars to Dougherty County through a combination of voluntary payments in lieu of taxes on Phoebe North and property taxes on other properties, which are not being used for a specific tax exempt purpose.  By Board practice, Phoebe annually reviews all its properties to ensure they are accurately classified and voluntarily pays taxes on properties that could be tax-exempt.
 
Additionally, Phoebe has not received any Dougherty County indigent care funds since 1998.  This year’s budget likewise will receive zero funding from Dougherty County or adjoining Lee County taxpayers, while residents in other Georgia counties underwrite their community hospitals with substantial tax revenue.  Phoebe Board Chairman John Culbreath remarked, “Our board has worked diligently over the years to ensure Phoebe is not a burden on taxpayers for indigent care relief.  This task becomes more daunting every year in the face of the great need during a period of profound indecision on state and national health policy.”
 
By comparison, recent annual numbers from the Georgia Department of Community Health show Grady Memorial received $57M from Fulton and Dekalb County taxpayers and Columbus Regional received $10.7M from Muscogee County taxpayers.  Even small counties like Peach and Stephens each provided more than $400,000 to their county’s hospitals.