Have a Heart, St. Mary's!

Share your story!Prosperity Without Generosity:
Betraying a Legacy of Compassion to the Poor

St. Mary's Hospital receives sizeable tax exemptions and earns millions in surplus from patient care. Is it doing enough for the low income and uninsured of the community?

2003-2005                                                                                                          
Earned: $33.2 million a year surplus from patient Care and services.  
ReceiveD: Estimated Annual Tax Breaks worth $22 mllion.
Provided: 
$4.2 million in charity care (2006).

 

 Prosperity…

St. Mary’s Hospital has earned an average surplus of $33.2 million annually (what a corporation would consider 'profit') from patient care and related services (2003-2005). When investment income is included, the average surplus rose to $42 million a year.

St. Mary’s has received tax exemptions worth an estimated $22 million a year. 

About 42% (about $9 million) of the tax subsidy came from the local community in the form of property tax forgone.


Without Generosity

In 2006 St. Mary’s provided $4.2 million in charity care. (This is subsidized or free care to the low income and uninsured.)

St. Mary's  and/or its owner SSM Health Care of Wisconsin has sued hundreds of patients in Dane County small claims court for nonpayment of medical bills, and has garnished the wages of Walmart workers, hotel, janitorial, and domestic services employees. 

St. Mary’s uses Superior Health Linens to clean the hospital’s soiled linens. Superior pays very low wages and doesn’t offer affordable health insurance.