At least one objective and its criteria must be met to report an activity as community benefit.

1. Improve access to health services 

• The program is available broadly to the public.
• The program participants include vulnerable or underserved persons.
• A barrier to access is reduced or eliminated.
• If the program ceased to exist, the community would lose access to a needed service.

2.  Enhance the health of the community 

• The program is designed around public health goals and principles, such as eliminating health disparities
• The program yields measurable improvements in health status.
• The community's health status would decline if the program ceased to exist.
• A public health agency provides comparable services.  (However, a community benefit program should not unnecessarily duplicate or compete with a public program.)
• The program is operated in collaboration with public health partners.

3.  Advance medical or healthcare knowledge 

• The program trains health professionals/students as they advance toward health profession degrees or other credentials.
• The organization does not require trainees to join the staff.
• Health professional continuing education programs are open to professionals in the community, not exclusively for the organization's employees and physicians.
• The program involves research, with findings available broadly to the public within a reasonable period of time.

4.  Lessen the burden on government or other community efforts 

• The program relieves a government financial or programmatic burden.
• Government provides the same or a similar service (for example, immunizations).  However, do not unnecessarily duplicate and compete with a government activity.
• Government provides support of the activity.
• If the program were closed, cost to government or another tax-exempt organization would increase.
• The program receives philanthropic support through community volunteers or contributions.

As our region’s pediatric safety net hospital, Cincinnati Children’s has a longstanding commitment to serve every child in our primary service area, regardless of ability to pay. To meet the needs of low-income families, we provide many essential services including primary care and dental care in addition to hospital and emergency care. Currently 43 percent of our patient encounters are covered by Medicaid. In fiscal 2012, there was a 15 percent gap between the cost of providing care to these children and the amount we were reimbursed. In addition, Cincinnati Children’s is committed to providing much-needed mental health services, despite poor reimbursement from both commercial and public insurance. In 2011, Cincinnati Children’s launched a collaboration with the Lindner Center of HOPE to expand access to mental health care for families in our community.