Southwestern Medical Center Publishes 2020 Community Benefit Report
August 24, 2021
Report highlights hospital’s continued impact on Southwest Oklahoma in a historic year
Southwestern Medical Center (SWMC) published its community benefit report for the 2020 calendar year. The annual report showcases the broad scope of the hospital’s contributions to Southwest Oklahoma 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 Lawton Fort Sill and the surrounding communities,” says Elizabeth Jones, chief executive officer (CEO) of Southwestern 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 – Southwestern 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.”
SWMC’s 2020 community benefit report showcases its continued focus on meeting the region’s evolving healthcare needs through welcoming new providers, expanding service lines, and continually investing in its facilities and care technology. In 2020 alone, SWMC added 16 providers in general surgery, emergency care, tele-hospital medicine, behavioral health, wound care and more; and made more than $1 million in capital improvements, including information technology upgrades, security cameras, surgical tables, respiratory equipment, and facility upgrades.
Additionally, a donation of $20.5 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.
SWMC is also dedicated to creating places where physicians want to practice, and employees want to work. In 2020, the hospital distributed more than $43.2 million in salaries, wages, and benefits for its more than 500 employees, and provided more than $145,000 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 SWMC’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 $5,403,534 in local and state taxes, demonstrating its dedication to fiscal responsibility, being a good community partner and supporting the economic health of Southwest Oklahoma. Additionally, the hospital is proud to be able to continue to support local activities and organizations in myriad ways, including Great Plains Technology Center, Hearts That Care Clinic, Lawton Public School Foundation, Parkinson Foundation of Oklahoma, and the Senior Center for Creative Living.
“We are grateful to call Lawton Fort Sill home and are proud to contribute to its economic and physical well-being in all the ways that we do,” said Jones. “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.”
SWMC’s complete 2020 community benefit report is available here.