SCHEDULE H
(Form 990)
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Hospitals
MediumBullet Complete if the organization answered "Yes" on Form 990, Part IV, question 20.
MediumBullet Attach to Form 990.
MediumBullet Go to www.irs.gov/Form990EZ for instructions and the latest information.
OMB No. 1545-0047
2019
Open to Public Inspection
Name of the organization
PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL
 
Employer identification number

58-2155150
Part I
Financial Assistance and Certain Other Community Benefits at Cost
Yes
No
1a
Did the organization have a financial assistance policy during the tax year? If "No," skip to question 6a . . . .
1a
Yes
 
b
If "Yes," was it a written policy? ......................
1b
Yes
 
2
If the organization had multiple hospital facilities, indicate which of the following best describes application of the financial assistance policy to its various hospital facilities during the tax year.
3
Answer the following based on the financial assistance eligibility criteria that applied to the largest number of the organization's patients during the tax year.
a
Did the organization use Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) as a factor in determining eligibility for providing free care?
If "Yes," indicate which of the following was the FPG family income limit for eligibility for free care:
3a
Yes
 
b
Did the organization use FPG as a factor in determining eligibility for providing discounted care? If "Yes," indicate
which of the following was the family income limit for eligibility for discounted care: . . . . . . . .
3b
Yes
 
%
c
If the organization used factors other than FPG in determining eligibility, describe in Part VI the criteria used for determining eligibility for free or discounted care. Include in the description whether the organization used an asset test or other threshold, regardless of income, as a factor in determining eligibility for free or discounted care.
4
Did the organization's financial assistance policy that applied to the largest number of its patients during the tax year provide for free or discounted care to the "medically indigent"? . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4

Yes

 
5a
Did the organization budget amounts for free or discounted care provided under its financial assistance policy during
the tax year? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5a

Yes

 
b
If "Yes," did the organization's financial assistance expenses exceed the budgeted amount? . . . . . .
5b
 
No
c
If "Yes" to line 5b, as a result of budget considerations, was the organization unable to provide free or discountedcare to a patient who was eligibile for free or discounted care? . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5c
 
 
6a
Did the organization prepare a community benefit report during the tax year? . . . . . . . . .
6a
Yes
 
b
If "Yes," did the organization make it available to the public? . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6b
Yes
 
Complete the following table using the worksheets provided in the Schedule H instructions. Do not submit these worksheets with the Schedule H.
7
Financial Assistance and Certain Other Community Benefits at Cost
Financial Assistance and
Means-Tested
Government Programs
 (a) Number of activities or programs (optional) (b) Persons served (optional) (c) Total community benefit expense (d) Direct offsetting revenue (e) Net community benefit expense (f) Percent of total expense
a Financial Assistance at cost
(from Worksheet 1) . . . 		    8,910,710   8,910,710 9.350 %
b Medicaid (from Worksheet 3, column a) . . . . .     4,389,431 4,364,708 24,723 0.030 %
c Costs of other means-tested government programs (from Worksheet 3, column b) . .     1,355,494 1,146,096 209,398 0.220 %
d Total Financial Assistance and Means-Tested Government Programs . . . . .     14,655,635 5,510,804 9,144,831 9.600 %
Other Benefits
e Community health improvement services and community benefit operations (from Worksheet 4).     45,900   45,900 0.050 %
f Health professions education (from Worksheet 5) . . .     1,244,132   1,244,132 1.310 %
g Subsidized health services (from Worksheet 6) . . . .            
h Research (from Worksheet 7) .            
i Cash and in-kind contributions for community benefit (from Worksheet 8) . . . .     30,000   30,000 0.030 %
j Total. Other Benefits . .     1,320,032   1,320,032 1.390 %
k Total. Add lines 7d and 7j .     15,975,667 5,510,804 10,464,863 10.990 %
For Paperwork Reduction Act Notice, see the Instructions for Form 990. Cat. No. 50192T Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
Page
Part II
Community Building Activities Complete this table if the organization conducted any community building activities during the tax year, and describe in Part VI how its community building activities promoted the health of the communities it serves.
(a) Number of activities or programs (optional) (b) Persons served (optional) (c) Total community building expense (d) Direct offsetting
revenue 		(e) Net community building expense (f) Percent of total expense
1 Physical improvements and housing            
2 Economic development            
3 Community support            
4 Environmental improvements            
5 Leadership development and
training for community members		            
6 Coalition building            
7 Community health improvement advocacy            
8 Workforce development            
9 Other            
10 Total            
Part III
Bad Debt, Medicare, & Collection Practices
Section A. Bad Debt Expense
Yes
No
1
Did the organization report bad debt expense in accordance with Healthcare Financial Management Association Statement No. 15? ..........................
1
Yes
 
2
Enter the amount of the organization's bad debt expense. Explain in Part VI the methodology used by the organization to estimate this amount. ......
2
3,433,818
3
Enter the estimated amount of the organization's bad debt expense attributable to patients eligible under the organization's financial assistance policy. Explain in Part VI the methodology used by the organization to estimate this amount and the rationale, if any, for including this portion of bad debt as community benefit. ......
3
0
4
Provide in Part VI the text of the footnote to the organization’s financial statements that describes bad debt expense or the page number on which this footnote is contained in the attached financial statements.
Section B. Medicare
5
Enter total revenue received from Medicare (including DSH and IME).....
5
19,384,376
6
Enter Medicare allowable costs of care relating to payments on line 5.....
6
19,103,111
7
Subtract line 6 from line 5. This is the surplus (or shortfall)........
7
281,265
8
Describe in Part VI the extent to which any shortfall reported in line 7 should be treated as community benefit.Also describe in Part VI the costing methodology or source used to determine the amount reported on line 6.Check the box that describes the method used:
Section C. Collection Practices
9a
Did the organization have a written debt collection policy during the tax year? ..........
9a
Yes
 
b
If "Yes," did the organization’s collection policy that applied to the largest number of its patients during the tax year
contain provisions on the collection practices to be followed for patients who are known to qualify for financial assistance? Describe in Part VI .........................

9b

Yes

 
Part IV
Management Companies and Joint Ventures(owned 10% or more by officers, directors, trustees, key employees, and physicians—see instructions)
(a) Name of entity (b) Description of primary
activity of entity 		(c) Organization's
profit % or stock
ownership % 		(d) Officers, directors,
trustees, or key
employees' profit %
or stock ownership % 		(e) Physicians'
profit % or stock
ownership %
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
Page
Part VFacility Information
Section A. Hospital Facilities
(list in order of size from largest to smallest—see instructions)How many hospital facilities did the organization operate during the tax year?1Name, address, primary website address, and state license number (and if a group return, the name and EIN of the subordinate hospital organization that operates the hospital facility) 		Licensed Hospital General-Medical-Surgical Children's Hospital Teaching Hospital Critical Hospital ResearchGrp Facility ER-24Hours ER-Other Other (describe) Facility reporting group
1 PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL INC
5126 HOSPITAL DRIVE NE
COVINGTON,GA300142566
WWW.PIEDMONT.ORG
107-518 		X X         X   PHYSICIAN CLINICS  
Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Part VFacility Information (continued)

Section B. Facility Policies and Practices

(Complete a separate Section B for each of the hospital facilities or facility reporting groups listed in Part V, Section A)
PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL INC
Name of hospital facility or letter of facility reporting group  
Line number of hospital facility, or line numbers of hospital facilities in a facility
reporting group (from Part V, Section A): 		1
Yes No
Community Health Needs Assessment
1 Was the hospital facility first licensed, registered, or similarly recognized by a state as a hospital facility in the current tax year or the immediately preceding tax year?........................ 1   No
2 Was the hospital facility acquired or placed into service as a tax-exempt hospital in the current tax year or the immediately preceding tax year? If “Yes,” provide details of the acquisition in Section C............... 2   No
3 During the tax year or either of the two immediately preceding tax years, did the hospital facility conduct a community health needs assessment (CHNA)? If "No," skip to line 12...................... 3 Yes  
If "Yes," indicate what the CHNA report describes (check all that apply):
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
4 Indicate the tax year the hospital facility last conducted a CHNA: 20 18
5 In conducting its most recent CHNA, did the hospital facility take into account input from persons who represent the broad interests of the community served by the hospital facility, including those with special knowledge of or expertise in public health? If "Yes," describe in Section C how the hospital facility took into account input from persons who represent the community, and identify the persons the hospital facility consulted ................. 5 Yes  
6 a Was the hospital facility’s CHNA conducted with one or more other hospital facilities? If "Yes," list the other hospital facilities in Section C.................................. 6a   No
b Was the hospital facility’s CHNA conducted with one or more organizations other than hospital facilities?” If “Yes,” list the other organizations in Section C. ............................ 6b   No
7 Did the hospital facility make its CHNA report widely available to the public?.............. 7 Yes  
If "Yes," indicate how the CHNA report was made widely available (check all that apply):
a
b
c
d
8 Did the hospital facility adopt an implementation strategy to meet the significant community health needs
identified through its most recently conducted CHNA? If "No," skip to line 11. .............. 		8 Yes  
9 Indicate the tax year the hospital facility last adopted an implementation strategy: 20 19
10 Is the hospital facility's most recently adopted implementation strategy posted on a website?......... 10 Yes  
a If "Yes" (list url): SEE PART VI
b If "No," is the hospital facility’s most recently adopted implementation strategy attached to this return? ...... 10b    
11 Describe in Section C how the hospital facility is addressing the significant needs identified in its most recently conducted CHNA and any such needs that are not being addressed together with the reasons why such needs are not being addressed.
12a Did the organization incur an excise tax under section 4959 for the hospital facility's failure to conduct a CHNA as required by section 501(r)(3)?............................... 12a   No
b If "Yes" on line 12a, did the organization file Form 4720 to report the section 4959 excise tax?........ 12b    
c If "Yes" on line 12b, what is the total amount of section 4959 excise tax the organization reported on Form 4720 for all of its hospital facilities? $  

Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Part VFacility Information (continued)

Financial Assistance Policy (FAP)
PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL INC
Name of hospital facility or letter of facility reporting group  
Yes No
Did the hospital facility have in place during the tax year a written financial assistance policy that:
13 Explained eligibility criteria for financial assistance, and whether such assistance included free or discounted care? 13 Yes  
If “Yes,” indicate the eligibility criteria explained in the FAP:
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
14 Explained the basis for calculating amounts charged to patients?................. 14 Yes  
15 Explained the method for applying for financial assistance?................... 15 Yes  
If “Yes,” indicate how the hospital facility’s FAP or FAP application form (including accompanying instructions) explained the method for applying for financial assistance (check all that apply):
a
b
c
d
e
16 Was widely publicized within the community served by the hospital facility?........ 16 Yes  
If "Yes," indicate how the hospital facility publicized the policy (check all that apply):
a
SEE PART VI
b
SEE PART VI
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Part VFacility Information (continued)

Billing and Collections
PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL INC
Name of hospital facility or letter of facility reporting group  
Yes No
17 Did the hospital facility have in place during the tax year a separate billing and collections policy, or a written financial assistance policy (FAP) that explained all of the actions the hospital facility or other authorized party may take upon nonpayment?.................................. 17 Yes  
18 Check all of the following actions against an individual that were permitted under the hospital facility's policies during the tax year before making reasonable efforts to determine the individual’s eligibility under the facility’s FAP:
a
b
c
d
e
f
19 Did the hospital facility or other authorized party perform any of the following actions during the tax year before making reasonable efforts to determine the individual’s eligibility under the facility’s FAP?............ 19   No
If "Yes," check all actions in which the hospital facility or a third party engaged:
a
b
c
d
e
20 Indicate which efforts the hospital facility or other authorized party made before initiating any of the actions listed (whether or not checked) in line 19. (check all that apply):
a
b
c
d
e
f
Policy Relating to Emergency Medical Care
21 Did the hospital facility have in place during the tax year a written policy relating to emergency medical care that required the hospital facility to provide, without discrimination, care for emergency medical conditions to individuals regardless of their eligibility under the hospital facility’s financial assistance policy?.................. 21 Yes  
If "No," indicate why:
a
b
c
d
Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Part VFacility Information (continued)

Charges to Individuals Eligible for Assistance Under the FAP (FAP-Eligible Individuals)
PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL INC
Name of hospital facility or letter of facility reporting group  
Yes No
22 Indicate how the hospital facility determined, during the tax year, the maximum amounts that can be charged to FAP-eligible individuals for emergency or other medically necessary care.
a
b
c
d
23 During the tax year, did the hospital facility charge any FAP-eligible individual to whom the hospital facility provided emergency or other medically necessary services more than the amounts generally billed to individuals who had insurance covering such care? ............................... 23   No
If "Yes," explain in Section C.
24 During the tax year, did the hospital facility charge any FAP-eligible individual an amount equal to the gross charge for any service provided to that individual? ........................... 24   No
If "Yes," explain in Section C.
Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Part V
Facility Information (continued)
Section C. Supplemental Information for Part V, Section B. Provide descriptions required for Part V, Section B, lines 2, 3j, 5, 6a, 6b, 7d, 11, 13b, 13h, 15e, 16j, 18e, 19e, 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d, 20e, 21c, 21d, 23, and 24. If applicable, provide separate descriptions for each hospital facility in a facility reporting group, designated by facility reporting group letter and hospital facility line number from Part V, Section A (“A, 1,” “A, 4,” “B, 2,” “B, 3,” etc.) and name of hospital facility.
Form and Line Reference Explanation
SCHEDULE H, PART V, LINE 5: COMMUNITY REPRESENTATION As a part of our process, we interviewed 31 key stakeholders and policy makers that represent public health, low-income populations, uninsured and uninsured persons, minorities, chronic conditions, older adults, and lawmakers. Further, in December 2018 and December 2019, 42 key stakeholders within the Piedmont Newton community provided their thoughts on community health, community assets and the role of the hospital in addressing unmet community health needs via a web survey. Below are the results of that survey. These interviews were conducted for people representing the entire region, including Newton County. Specifically, we interviewed representatives of local and regional public health entities, minority populations, faith-based communities, local business owners, the philanthropic community, mental health agencies, elected officials and individuals representing our most vulnerable patients. The Piedmont Healthcare board of directors and leadership from all 11 hospitals were actively informed and engaged throughout this process.
SCHEDULE H, PART V, SECTION B, LINE 7A: COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT WEBSITE https://www.piedmont.org/media/file/PNTH-FY19-CHNA-Strategy.pdf
SCHEDULE H, PART V, LINE 7D: PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF CHNA IN ADDITION TO MAKING ITS CHNA AVAILABLE ON ITS WEBSITE AND BY REQUEST, PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL SENT COPIES TO EACH PARTICIPANT IN THE CHNA PROCESS, DISTRIBUTED THE ASSESSMENTS TO COMMUNITY CENTERS AND OTHER LOCATIONS THAT PRIMARILY SERVE AN UNINSURED POPULATION, SENT COPIES TO LEGISLATIVE AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND WIDELY DISTRIBUTED THE ASSESSMENTS TO OTHER PIEDMONT HEALTHCARE HOSPITALS. SCHEDULE H, PART V, SECTION B, LINE 10A: IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES WEBSITE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED ITS IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY FOR THE THREE YEAR PERIOD BEGINNING WITH FY20 ON AUGUST 15, 2019, WITHIN THE GRACE PERIOD FOLLOWING THE APPROVAL OF THE NEW COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT. THE FOLLOWING LINK IS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY EFFECTIVE THROUGH JUNE 30, 2022. THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY IS LOCATED AFTER THE COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN THE FOLLOWING LINK. https://www.piedmont.org/media/file/PNTH-FY19-CHNA-Strategy.pdf
SCHEDULE H, PART V, LINE 11: ADDRESSING COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS DURING FY19, PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL CONDUCTED ITS THIRD CHNA, BY ASSESSING PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA, INTERVIEWING COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, CONDUCTING FOCUS GROUPS OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, INTERVIEWING PIEDMONT BOARD MEMBERS, AND SURVEYING PIEDMONT EMPLOYEES. THROUGH THIS PROCESS, PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL DETERMINED AND PRIORITIZED THE COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS IT WOULD ADDRESS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PERSONS AFFECTED, THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE ISSUE, WHETHER THE HEALTH NEED AFFECTED VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, AND THE AVAILABILITY OF COMMUNITY AND HOSPITAL RESOURCES NECESSARY TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. BASED ON THE CHNA, PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL FOCUSED ON: (1) Increase access points for appropriate and affordable health and mental care for all community members, and especially those who are uninsured and those with low incomes; (2) Reduce preventable emergency department re-encounters and hospital readmissions; (3) Reduce opioid and related substance abuse and overdose deaths; (4) Decrease deaths from all cancers and increase access to cancer programming, with a focus on lung cancer; AND (5) Reduce preventable instances of and deaths from heart disease. PIEDMONT NEWTON HOSPITAL DEVELOPED THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY TO ADDRESS THESE PRIORITY NEEDS DURING FY20-22. The PNTH Board of Directors unanimously approved the new CHNA on MAY 16, 2019.
SCHEDULE H, PART V, LINE 16: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE POLICY WEBSITES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE POLICY https://www.piedmont.org/media/file/Financial-Assistance-Policy.pdf FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION https://www.piedmont.org/media/file/Financial-Assistance-Application.pdf FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY https://www.piedmont.org/media/file/Financial-Assistance-Plain-Language-Su mmary-English.pdf
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
Page 9
Part VFacility Information (continued)

Section D. Other Health Care Facilities That Are Not Licensed, Registered, or Similarly Recognized as a Hospital Facility
(list in order of size, from largest to smallest)
How many non-hospital health care facilities did the organization operate during the tax year?1
Name and address Type of Facility (describe)
1 NEWTON MEDICAL CENTER HOME HEALTH
5126 HOSPITAL DRIVE
COVINGTON,GA30209 		HOME HEALTH AGENCY
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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Part VI
Supplemental Information
Provide the following information.
1 Required descriptions. Provide the descriptions required for Part I, lines 3c, 6a, and 7; Part II and Part III, lines 2, 3, 4, 8 and 9b.
2 Needs assessment. Describe how the organization assesses the health care needs of the communities it serves, in addition to any CHNAs reported in Part V, Section B.
3 Patient education of eligibility for assistance. Describe how the organization informs and educates patients and persons who may be billed for patient care about their eligibility for assistance under federal, state, or local government programs or under the organization’s financial assistance policy.
4 Community information. Describe the community the organization serves, taking into account the geographic area and demographic constituents it serves.
5 Promotion of community health. Provide any other information important to describing how the organization’s hospital facilities or other health care facilities further its exempt purpose by promoting the health of the community (e.g., open medical staff, community board, use of surplus funds, etc.).
6 Affiliated health care system. If the organization is part of an affiliated health care system, describe the respective roles of the organization and its affiliates in promoting the health of the communities served.
7 State filing of community benefit report. If applicable, identify all states with which the organization, or a related organization, files a community benefit report.
Form and Line Reference Explanation
SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 1: REQUIRED DESCRIPTIONS PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT REPORT SCHEDULE H, PART I, LINE 6A Piedmont Newton Hospital regularly reports to the community its community benefit activities in several ways. Each year, the hospital prepares a systemwide community-benefit report that is widely distributed to the public through emailed versions sent to community stakeholders and community organizations, printed copies made available to community members upon request, and publication on the system's website. The hospital also makes available copies of its IRS Form 990 Schedule H on its website and available to anyone upon request. Additionally, the hospital presents its community benefit work within the health care system's annual report and the health care system's foundation annual report, which is widely distributed to the public through both printed copies made available to community members upon request and through publication on the system's website. Additionally, the report was mailed to hospital and system board members, state and local elected officials and other key stakeholders. The hospital provides information on community benefit programming to local, state and federal lawmakers through our government affairs office. Finally, the hospital issues media alerts on key community benefit programming, such as its community benefit grants program, to the public, and provides an annual impact report demonstrating the outcomes from those grants. PERCENT OF TOTAL EXPENSE SCHEDULE H, PART I, LINE 7(F) THE DENOMINATOR USED FOR THE CALCULATION OF COLUMN (F), PERCENT OF TOTAL EXPENSE, WAS THE AMOUNT OF TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES ON FORM 990, PART IX, LINE 25, COLUMN (A) of $115,261,457 LESS BAD DEBT EXPENSE OF $19,967,814 FROM FORM 990, PART IX, LINE 24(A). FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND CERTAIN OTHER COMMUNITY BENEFITS AT COST SCHEDULE H, PART I, LINE 7 A RATIO OF PATIENT CARE COST TO CHARGES, CONSISTENT WITH WORKSHEET 2, WAS USED TO REPORT THE AMOUNTS IN PART I, LINES 7A-7D. FOR AMOUNTS ON LINES 7E-7K, ACTUAL EXPENSES FOR EACH COMMUNITY BENEFIT ACTIVITY ARE TRACED AND REPORTED USING THE ORGANIZATION'S COST ACCOUNTING SYSTEM. BAD DEBT EXPENSE CALCULATION AND FOOTNOTE SCHEDULE H, PART III, LINES 2-4 The provision for bad debts is based upon management's assessment of historical and expected net collections considering business and economic conditions, trends in health care coverage and other collection indicators. Periodically, management assesses the adequacy of the allowance for double accounts based upon historical write-off experience payer category. The results of the review are then used to make any modifications to the provision for bad debts to establish an appropriate allowance for uncollectible receivables. THE AMOUNT REPORTED ON PART III, LINE 3, WAS DETERMINED BY TAKING THE AVERAGE ACCEPTANCE RATE FOR ALL CHARITY CARE APPLICATIONS RECEIVED DURING THE YEAR MULTIPLIED BY THE NUMBER OF DENIALS THAT WERE ATTRIBUTABLE TO INSUFFICIENT INFORMATION. THAT TOTAL WAS THEN ADJUSTED DOWNWARD FOR THE ORGANIZATION'S USE OF PRESUMPTIVE ELIGIBILITY WHEN DETERMINING ITS COMMUNITY BENEFITS. BAD DEBT EXPENSE FOOTNOTE FROM CONSOLIDATED, AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: THE PROVISION FOR BAD DEBTS IS BASED UPON MANAGEMENT'S ASSESSMENT OF HISTORICAL AND EXPECTED NET COLLECTIONS CONSIDERING BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, TRENDS IN HEALTH CARE COVERAGE, AND OTHER COLLECTION INDICATORS. PERIODICALLY, MANAGEMENT ASSESSES THE ADEQUACY OF THE ALLOWANCE FOR DOUBTFUL ACCOUNTS BASED UPON HISTORICAL WRITE-OFF EXPERIENCE BY PAYOR CATEGORY. THE RESULTS OF THIS REVIEW ARE THEN USED TO MAKE ANY MODIFICATIONS TO THE PROVISION FOR BAD DEBT TO ESTABLISH AN APPROPRIATE ALLOWANCE FOR UNCOLLECTIBLE RECEIVABLES. PNTH PROVIDES CARE TO PATIENTS WHO MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA UNDER ITS CHARITY CARE POLICY WITHOUT CHARGE OR AT AMOUNTS LESS THAN ITS ESTABLISHED RATES. AMOUNTS DETERMINED TO QUALIFY AS CHARITY CARE ARE NOT REPORTED AS REVENUE. BAD DEBT METHODOLOGY Schedule H, Part III, Line 4 The provision for bad debts is based upon management's assessment of historical and expected net collections considering business and economic conditions, trends in health care coverage and other collection indicators. Periodically, management assesses the adequacy of the allowance for double accounts based upon historical write-off experience by payer category. The results of the review are then used to make any modifications to the provision for bad debts to establish an appropriate allowance for uncollectible receivables. MEDICARE SHORTFALLS AS COMMUNITY BENEFIT SCHEDULE H, PART III, LINE 8 The amount reported on Part III, Line 6, was calculated in accordance with Schedule H instructions by utilizing the organization's allowable Medicare cost as reported in the Medicare cost report, which is based on a cost to charge ratio. However, the allowable costs in the Medicare cost report do not reflect the actual cost of providing care to patients since the Medicare cost report excludes many direct patient care costs that are essential to provide quality healthcare for Medicare patients. For example, certain coverage fees to physicians, cost of Medicare C and D, and other similar direct patient care expenses are specifically excluded from allowable cost in the Medicare Cost Report. The organization believes that Piedmont Newton Hospital's Medicare shortfall reported on Part III, Line 7 of Schedule H, should be considered a community benefit as the IRS community benefit standard includes the provision of care to elderly and Medicare patients. IRS Revenue Ruling 69-545 provides, in part, that hospitals serving patients with governmental health insurance, such as Medicare, is an indication the hospital operates to promote health in the community. Additionally, Medicare accounted for 45.49 percent of Piedmont Newton Hospital's patient service revenue. Charity care accounted for an additional 9.06 percent of Piedmont Newton Hospital's patient service revenue. Piedmont Newton Hospital's policy is to treat Medicare patients, regardless of the extent to which Medicare actually pays for the treatment. For many services, Medicare's reimbursement is less than the cost of the care provided, resulting in shortfalls that are to be absorbed by the hospital in honor of Piedmont Newton Hospital's commitment to treat elderly patients. Many of these patients live on a low, fixed income, and would qualify for financial assistance or other means-tested programs, absent from their enrollment in Medicare. COLLECTION PRACTICES SCHEDULE H, PART III, LINE 9(B) INITIAL SCREENINGS OF ALL INPATIENT, EMERGENCY, AND SURGERY ENCOUNTERS, AS WELL AS MOST OUTPATIENT VISITS, ARE CONDUCTED BY FINANCIAL COUNSELORS IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY ANY AVAILABLE INSURANCE OR OTHER COVERAGE FOR EACH PATIENT. COUNSELORS CONTACT PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES DIRECTLY, EITHER IN PERSON OR BY LETTER, TO ASSIST THE FAMILY IN IDENTIFYING ANY PROGRAMS FOR WHICH THE PATIENT/SERVICE MAY QUALIFY (INCLUDING MEDICAID, STATE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM ("SCHIP"), PRIVATE OR GOVERNMENT INSURANCE COVERAGE, AND CHARITY ASSISTANCE). IF THE FAMILY CANNOT BE TIMELY LOCATED OR IS UNCOOPERATIVE, RELATED ACCOUNTS ARE TRANSFERRED TO AN INTERNAL COLLECTION DEPARTMENT FOR FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN PAYMENT OR, IF THE PATIENT MAY QUALIFY FOR ASSISTANCE, TO SECURE A FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION. THE ORGANIZATION'S DEBT COLLECTION POLICY AND PROCEDURES PROHIBIT ANY COLLECTION EFFORTS FOR THE PORTION OF A PATIENT ACCOUNT BALANCE THAT QUALIFIES FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER THE ORGANIZATION'S CHARITY CARE POLICY.
SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 2: NEEDS ASSESSMENT As a designated 501(c)(3) nonprofit hospital, Piedmont Newton Hospital is required by the Internal Revenue System to provide to conduct a triennial community health needs assessment (CHNA), in accordance with regulations put forth by the IRS following the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Through this assessment, we hope to better understand local health challenges, identify health trends in our community, determine gaps in the current health delivery system and craft a plan to address those gaps and the identified health needs. In FY19, Piedmont Newton Hospital conducted its second triennial community health needs assessment (CHNA). FY20 marked Year One of the subsequent three-year CHNA implementation strategy. The Piedmont Newton CHNA was led by the Piedmont Healthcare community benefits team, with input and direction from Piedmont Newton leadership and direct input from board members both at a February 2018 board meeting and through individual meetings with hospital leadership, including the hospital's chief executive officer and chief financial officer. Process The CHNA started first with a definition of our community. We defined the hospital's primary population as the hospital's home county, due to the impact of its tax-exempt status. We estimate property taxes make up the largest segment of a hospital's tax exemption. Because of this, we want to ensure that we are providing equal benefit to our county. Additionally, we take into consideration patient origin, and especially that of our lower-income patients, such as those who qualify for financial assistance or receive insurance coverage through Medicaid. Our secondary communities are considered the areas in which we have the highest concentration of patients fitting that criteria, including ones from nearby DeKalb County. Once we established our primary and secondary community, we then conducted an analysis of available public health data. This included resources from: US Census, US Health and Human Services' Community Health Status Indicators, US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, National Center for Education Statistics, Kaiser Family Foundation's State Health Facts, American Heart Association, County Health Rankings and Georgia Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASIS). All figures are for 2017, unless otherwise noted. Health indicators are estimates provided by County Health Rankings and hospital data was provided by the hospital. An internal survey was also conducted throughout the healthcare system for both clinical and non-clinical employees. Information was gathered on knowledge and understanding of community benefit and current programs, as well as suggestions for how we can better serve our patients and communities. Nearly 900 employees spanning the system responded. Additionally, we conducted a community-based survey in which local stakeholders were asked their thoughts on unmet community health needs and the hospital's role in addressing those needs. These stakeholders included local leaders, nonprofit representatives, elected officials and those with a unique knowledge of the challenges vulnerable populations face. We also evaluated previous community benefit, hospital and community interventions identified in our last CHNA implementation strategies through three lenses: impact, outcomes and sustainability. Interventions and programming considered to have a high score on all three were included in this CHNA and our subsequent strategy. This included our community benefit grants program, our charitable clinic-hospital partnerships and our heart- and stroke-focused community programming. Finally, we conducted direct interviews with 31 state and regional stakeholders and policymakers, with each representing a specific group that tends to be adversely impacted by issues of health equity. These groups included but are not limited to Georgians for a Healthy Future, Georgia Watch, ConsiderHealth, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, the Georgia Charitable Care Network, the Medical Association of Georgia and Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies. Additionally, we sought and received feedback on our CHNA from public health. Our priorities A key component of the CHNA is to identify the top health priorities we'll address over fiscal years 2020, 2021 and 2022. These priorities guide our community benefit work. They are, in no order: . Increase access points for appropriate and affordable health and mental care for all community members, and especially those who are uninsured and those with low incomes . Decrease deaths from all cancers, with a focus on lung cancer . Reduce preventable instances of and deaths from heart disease . Reduce preventable emergency department re-encounters and hospital readmissions . Reduce opioid and related substance abuse and overdose deaths With each priority, we work to achieve greater health equity by reducing the impact of poverty and other socioeconomic indicators. This means that health equity is built into each priority, and that is demonstrated through our implementation strategies. How we determined our priorities: Several key community health needs emerged during the assessment process. The chosen priorities were recommended by the community benefit department with sign-off from hospital and board leadership. The following criteria were used to establish the priorities: . The number of persons affected; . The seriousness of the issue; . Whether the health need particularly affected persons living in poverty or reflected health disparities; and, . Availability of community and/or hospital resources to address the need. The priorities we chose reflected a collective agreement on what hospital leadership, staff and the community felt was most important and within our ability to positively impact the issue. While the priorities reflect clinical access and certain conditions, all priorities are viewed through the lens of health disparities, with particular attention paid to improving outcomes for those most vulnerable due to income and race. This community health needs assessment was unanimously approved by the Piedmont Newton Hospital board of directors on May 16, 2019. The Piedmont Newton Hospital implementation strategy was developed in partnership with hospital leadership and community stakeholders to address the identified priorities in our FY19 community health needs assessment. The implementation strategy was designed to be executed over a three-year period and included specific metrics by which we would be able to evaluate our work and its impact. The implementation strategy was developed by utilizing community feedback from the assessment in partnership with the system community benefits department, Piedmont Newton Hospital leadership and the Piedmont Newton Hospital Board of Directors. As mentioned above, we included proven and successful interventions and programming, investing further in work we felt was successful in addressing unmet health needs. The CHNA implementation strategy was approved August 15, 2019.
SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 3: PATIENT EDUCATION OF ASSISTANCE ELIGIBILITY Piedmont Newton Hospital understands that not everyone has the ability to pay their hospital bill due to their insurance status or a limited income, and because of this, we offer financial assistance to qualifying patients. Notification about financial assistance available at Piedmont Newton Hospital includes providing a dedicated contact number, which is disseminated by the hospital to patients by various means. These include but are not limited to: the publication of notices in patient bills and by posting notices in emergency rooms, in the Conditions of Admission form, at admitting and registration departments, hospital business offices, and patient financial services offices that are located on facility campuses, and at other public places the hospital may elect, including availability at local low-cost clinics primarily treating uninsured populations. Piedmont Newton Hospital also publishes and widely publicizes a plain language summary of this financial assistance care policy on its facility website, which includes a link to full policy. Referral of patients for financial assistance may be made by any staff or medical staff member at the hospital, including physicians, nurses, financial counselors, social workers, case managers, chaplains and religious sponsors. A request for financial assistance may be made by the patient or a family member, close friend, or associate of the patient, subject to applicable privacy laws. Finally, we provide copies of our financial assistance policy to our partner clinics and others who work closely with low-income populations. We offer assistance in understanding the policy, how it relates to their populations and receive feedback in ways our financial assistance programming could be improved. Additionally, Piedmont Healthcare annually publishes a directory of services and programs for low-income community members, and within this resource guide are extensive directions and advice on how to apply for patient financial assistance. Also, in this guide is information on how to apply for certain government assistance programs, resources to help prepare and file tax returns, as well as detailed resources for local sliding scale and free mental, dental and health resources. This guide is widely distributed to the community via hardcopy, is available within our hospitals and is digitally available online. Copies are provided in both English and Spanish. In FY19, we distributed approximately 200 copies of this guide throughout the Newton community.
SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 4: COMMUNITY INFORMATION A total of 108,079 people live in the 273.75 square mile report area defined for this assessment according to the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2015-19 5-year estimates. The population density for this area, estimated at 394.81 persons per square mile, is greater than the national average population density of 91.93 persons per square mile. During those years, about 50 percent of all Newton County residents were white, 45 percent were black and other races made up the remaining 5 percent. The median age of people living within the county was 35, on par with state and national averages. Twenty-six percent of the population were 18 or younger, 13 percent were over the age of 65 and the rest were in between. Between 2015 and 2019, the median household income was $56,316, which is lower than both state and national averages. Fifty-three percent of the population has, at a minimum, attended some college (with 27 percent having obtained an associate degree or higher), and 34 percent only graduated high school. Generally speaking, household income and educational attainment are related. Nearly 13.4 percent of the population did not receive their high school diploma. Nearly 6 percent of adults were unemployed in 2020, a figure higher than the national average of 5.4 percent. Thirty-two percent of households had housing costs that exceeded more than 30 percent of total household income in 2017, indicating a cost burdened household more likely to face overall financial difficulty. Sixteen percent of the county - about 16,559 people - lived in poverty each year on average between 2015 and 2019. This is much better than the state average of 15 percent. During that same time, 21 percent of children in Newton County lived in poverty, a figure that is on par with the state average of 22 percent. Sixty-eight percent of public school children were eligible for the free or reduced priced lunch program during the 2018-2019 school year, which is lower than the state average of 60 percent. Poor children are statistically less likely to graduate high school or attend college and are nearly twice as likely to become poor adults than their non-poor counterparts. In Newton County, 13 percent of the population were uninsured in 2019, which is on par with the state average of 13.2. Non-elderly adults by far were the most likely to be uninsured, with 19 percent of those age 18 to 64 as having no insurance coverage during that time period, as compared to 6.5 percent of children and less than 1 percent of seniors and elderly adults. In Newton County, like with the rest of Georgia, heart disease was the number one cause of age-adjusted death between 2015 and 2019, and this holds true for all races. Age-adjusted allows communities with different age structures to be compared. Premature death is when death happens before the average age for a given community. Motor vehicle crashes were the primary cause of premature death during that time frame, with 3,269 people having died in a wreck. There was one designated health professional shortage areas in the community in 2021 and it is dental health and is specifically tied to low-income populations. There was one dentist for every 5,480 people in 2019, one primary care physician for every 3,600 people, and one mental health provider for every 1,050 people. All are far worse than the state averages of 1,960:1, 1,530:1 and 1,450:1, respectively, with the dental rate being among the worst in the state. Community members have reported an average 3.6 and 4.0 poor physical and mental health days, respectively. Eighteen percent of Newton residents reported their health as poor or fair. Approximately 370 people lived with HIV in Newton County in 2018. HIV is a life-threatening communicable disease that disproportionately affects minority populations and may also indicate the prevalence of unsafe sex practices. To that point, both chlamydia and gonorrhea rates were far below both and national averages in 2018, with 771.1 chlamydia infections per every 100,000 people and 212.8 gonorrhea infections per every 100,000 people, with both being worse than state and national averages. In 2019, there were approximately 37 retail opioid prescriptions dispensed per 100 persons, according to the CDC. We aren't able to tell how many prescriptions are going to a single person, just the overall figure. For every 1,000 teen girls aged 15 to 18 in Newton County, 26 birth gave birth to a child on average each year between 2012 and 2018. Children born to teen are statistically much more likely to experience adverse health and socioeconomic issues as they grow older. Sources for all statistics in this section: U.S. Census 2017 ACS Demographic and Housing Estimate, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, County Health Rankings, 2018, with indicators ranging from 2012 to 2019, and the Georgia Online Analytical Statistical Information System.
SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 5: PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY HEALTH Piedmont Newton Hospital actively promotes the health of its community through clinic-hospital partnerships, our community benefit grants programs, community-based health screenings, educational activities, community building activities, the operation of a 24-hour emergency department available to the entire community, the operation of an emergency room open to all members of the community without regard to ability to pay, a governance board composed of community members, use of surplus revenue for facilities improvement, patient care, and medical training, education, and research, the provision of inpatient hospital care for all persons in the community able to pay, including those covered by Medicare and Medicaid, and an open medical staff with privileges available to all qualifying physicians. It's important to note that COVID-19 did have a significant impact on our proactive community benefit programs, as all in-person events and classes were canceled as of early March 2020. We worked to create programming that was responsive to the pandemic, including our migrating to online platforms for vital community-based programming. In FY20, Piedmont Newton Hospital awarded approximately $30,000 in funding to three not-for-profit organizations whose programs aligned with our FY19 CHNA. The three grant recipients in FY20 were the Shift Foundation, the Newton County Board of Commissioners and Wiling Helpers Medical Clinic. The hospital also provided pharmaceutical support to the Willing Helpers Medical Clinic at no charge to the clinic or its patients, as well as the provision of certain specialty care services. Additionally, the hospital's chief medical officer regularly volunteered his services and organizational guidance, and the hospital's chief executive officer located and donated new medical space to house the clinic, at no charge. The hospital provided services through the Women's Diagnostic Center including navigation services, support groups, the Hope Boutique, educational programming, and breast cancer awareness and prevention events in the Newton community. Piedmont Newton Hospital also provided health professions education to students and residents training to be health professionals. In FY20, Piedmont Newton Hospital medical staff oversaw training at a total cost of $1.24 million. As part of a Piedmont Healthcare systemwide effort, Piedmont Newton Hospital was an active participant in anti-opioid work, which included: active participation on the systemwide task force, tracking opioid prescriptions within the hospital and by providers, utilizing Epic EMR tools to monitor opioid use, offering patients and the community ways to safely dispose of unused medication, and providing ongoing education on opioid prescribing. Because of COVID-19, Take Back Day, a national event organized to solicit unused prescriptions from community members, did not take place. Additionally, and as mentioned above, Piedmont Newton Hospital provided to the general public a bilingual community resource guide, which gives information on community resources for lower income populations as well as plain language details on our financial assistance programs.
SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 6: AFFILIATED HEALTH CARE SYSTEM Piedmont Newton Hospital is a part of Piedmont Healthcare, a regional not-for-profit organization and the parent company of 11 hospitals, the Piedmont Physicians Group, the Piedmont Heart Institute, the Piedmont Clinic and the Piedmont Healthcare Foundation. Piedmont Healthcare's community benefit department coordinates the community benefit activities on behalf of all hospitals throughout the system. This includes conducting the triennial CHNA and subsequent implementation strategy, ensuring the financial assistance policy is communicated to the community, maintaining the community benefit webpage, authoring the community benefit annual report, preparing board materials, developing and executing the community benefit grants program and compiling all community benefit figures. Each hospital and certain departments of Piedmont Healthcare provide key input and execute programming. This includes our revenue department, which oversees and executes the financial assistance policy and program.
SCHEDULE H, PART VI, LINE 7: STATE OF FILING OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT REPORT Piedmont Newton Hospital is not required to file a community benefit report; however, the hospital is required to file with the Georgia Department of Community Health information on its indigent and charity care, as well as its Medicaid and Medicare shortfalls.
Schedule H (Form 990) 2019
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