Report highlights hospital’s continued impact on McMinn County in a historic year

Starr Regional Medical Center today published its community benefit report for the 2020 calendar year. The annual report showcases the broad scope of the hospital’s contributions to McMinn County and illustrates the many ways the organization contributes to the physical and economic health of the communities it serves – an investment which became even more essential in a historic year.

“Our mission of Making Communities Healthier has always been central to the integral role we play in McMinn County,” says John McLain, chief executive officer (CEO) of Starr Regional Medical Center. “But as the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact our region, our mission became even more critical. As part of LifePoint Health – a national healthcare network that provided quality care for more than 20,000 COVID-19 patients in 2020, including those in our own communities – Starr Regional Medical Center was able to continue our legacy of quality care and community leadership, protect and enhance the health of our neighbors and continue creating places where people – like you – choose to come for care. We achieved this despite the challenges of the past year thanks to the hard work and commitment of our wonderful team of providers, employees and volunteers, and the support of those we serve.”

Starr Regional Medical Center’s 2020 community benefit report showcases its continued focus on meeting the region’s evolving healthcare needs through welcoming new providers, adding and expanding service lines and continually investing in its facilities and care technology. In 2020 alone, Starr Regional Medical Center added 37 providers in podiatry, telemedicine, anesthesiology, OB/GYN, pathology, internal medicine, emergency care, radiology, cardiology and more; and made nearly $1.5 million in capital improvements, including the addition of robotic surgical technology for joint replacements, an upgrade to the Athens campus pharmacy, and building  roof upgrades to our Etowah campus.

Additionally, a donation of more than $44.4 million in health services to those in need demonstrates the hospital’s ongoing commitment to ensuring access to care for everyone, regardless of their ability to pay.

Starr Regional Medical Center is also dedicated to creating places where physicians want to practice and employees want to work. In 2020, the hospital distributed more than $36.9 million in salaries, wages and benefits for its more than 680 employees, and provided more than $56,765 in professional development and tuition assistance to help its staff grow professionally and expand their expertise and experience to continue finding newer and better ways to care for patients.

This year’s annual report also highlights how Starr Regional Medical Center’s role as a leader in the communities it serves extends far beyond the physical walls of its facilities in tangible and meaningful ways. Last year, the organization paid $7.7 million in local and state taxes, demonstrating its dedication to fiscal responsibility, being a good community partner and supporting the economic health of McMinn County. Additionally, the hospital is proud to be able to continue to support local activities and organizations in myriad ways, including American Cancer Society, Athens City Schools, Friendly Fellows, Good Faith Clinic, Grace & Mercy Ministries, McMinn County Schools and the United Way of McMinn & Meigs Counties.

“We are grateful to call McMinn County home and are proud to contribute to its economic and physical well-being in all the ways that we do,” said McLain. “We are also incredibly thankful for and encouraged by the support our communities have shown us over the course of this historic year. As we look to the future, we are inspired to further enhance how we serve our neighbors today and in the bright days and years ahead.”

Starr Regional Medical Center’s complete 2020 community benefit report is available online.

2020 Community Benefit Report