Adventist Health

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Adventist Health

Basic facts
Location:| Roseville, California
Type:| 501(c)(3)
Year founded:| 1901
Website:| Official website

As of 2016, Adventist Health was a faith-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit health system that operated in California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington.[1] As of September 2016, Adventist Health operated 19 hospitals, 260 clinics, and several home care agencies, hospice agencies and retirement centers. It also employed approximately 23,000 employees.[2]

Adventist Health lobbied for a number of issues surrounding healthcare. It focused particularly on those issues as they pertained to the state of California and often partnered with the California Hospital Association.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Mission
* 2 Background
* 3 Work
* 3.1 Medical services
* 3.2 Lobbying
* 4 Political activity
* 4.1 Ballot measure activity
* 4.1.1 Overview of ballot measure support and opposition
* 5 Leadership
* 6 Finances
* 7 Tax status
* 8 Affiliated programs
* 9 Noteworthy events
* 10 Recent news
* 11 See also
* 12 External links
* 13 Footnotes

## Mission[edit]

According to its website, as of 2016, the mission of Adventist Health was "to share God's love by providing physical, mental and spiritual healing. Its vision is to be "a recognized leader in mission focus, quality care and fiscal strength." [4]

## Background[edit]

The Seventh-day Adventist Church's involvement in healthcare dates back to 1866 when it opened a hospital in Battle Creek, Michigan. As the Seventh-day Adventist healthcare system grew, it was governed by regional church leadership. Since 1980, healthcare operations in the North Pacific, Northwest, and Pacific regions have operated as Adventist Health.[5]

## Work[edit]

### Medical services[edit]

As of 2016, Adventist Health offered a number of medical services, focusing on mental and physical health. A full list of medical services offered by Adventist Health is available on its website.[6]

### Lobbying[edit]

Adventist Health lobbied for a number of issues surrounding healthcare. It focused particularly on those issues as they pertained to the state of California and often partnered with the California Hospital Association.[3]

The following is a breakdown of the Adventist Health's lobbying-related expenditures for fiscal years 2012-2014. According to Adventist Health's tax returns, the organization "engages lobbyists and belongs to industry and professional associations for which a portion of membership dues is used for lobbying activities."[7][8][9]

Lobbying expenditures for Adventist Health, 2012-2014

Fiscal Year  | Total Spent  | Direct Contact with Legislators  | Other Activities
2014 | $2,011,389 | $23,420 | $1,987,969
2013 | $1,818,919 | $10,156 | $1,808,763
2012 | $423,814 | $16,603 | $407,211

## Political activity[edit]

### Ballot measure activity[edit]

Adventist Health supported 2016 California Prop 52, which aimed to require voter approval to change the dedicated use of certain fees from hospitals used to draw matching federal money and fund Medi-Cal services. The initiative was also designed to require a two-thirds majority vote of the California Legislature to end the hospital fee program.[10] The measure passed.

#### Overview of ballot measure support and opposition[edit]

The following table details Adventist Health's ballot measure stances available on Ballotpedia:

Ballot measure support and opposition for Adventist Health

Ballot measure  | Year  | Position  | Status
California Proposition 52, Continued Hospital Fee Revenue Dedicated to Medi-Cal Unless Voters Approve Changes (2016) | 2016 | Supported[10] |  aApproved

## Leadership[edit]

The following individuals held leadership positions with Adventist Health, as of September 2016:[11]

* Scott Reiner, President and CEO
* Bill Wing, Executive Vice President and COO
* Mark Ashlock, Senior Vice President, Physician Strategy
* John Beaman, Vice President, Finance/Senior Financial Officer
* Jeff Eller, President and CEO, Northern California Region
* Wayne Ferch, President and CEO, Central California Region
* JoAline Olson, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources & Innovation Officer
* Joyce Newmyer, President and CEO, Northwest Region
* Jack Wagner, Senior Vice President and CFO
* Beth Zachary President and CEO, Southern California Region

## Finances[edit]

The following is a breakdown of the finances for Adventist Health for fiscal years 2012-2014.[9][8][7]

Annual assets and expenses for Adventist Health, 2012-2014

Fiscal Year  | Total Assets  | Total Revenue  | Total Expenses
2014 | $1,598,504,033 | $327,099,858 | $348,017,954
2013 | $1,537,220,164 | $281,113,579 | $336,365,783
2012 | $1,415,903,800 | $222,685,135 | $243,776,780

## Tax status[edit]

As of 2016, Adventist Health was a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. Its 501(c) designation refers to a section of the U.S. federal income tax code concerning charitable, religious, and educational organizations.[12] Section 501(c) of the U.S. tax code has 29 sections that list specific conditions particular organizations must meet in order to be considered tax-exempt under the section. Organizations that have been granted 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service are exempt from federal income tax.[13] This exemption requires that any political activity by the charitable organization be nonpartisan in nature.[14]

## Affiliated programs[edit]

Of its relationship with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Adventist Health website in September 2016 read, "We owe much of our heritage and organizational success to the Seventh-day Adventist Church...Every individual, regardless of his/her personal beliefs, is welcome in our facilities. We are also eager to partner with members of other faiths to enhance health in the communities we serve."[15]

As od 2016, Adventist Health was only affiliated with the similarly named Adventist Health System of Florida through the organizations' mutual connection to the Seventh Day Adventist Church.[16]

## Noteworthy events[edit]

In 2016, Adventist Health opted out of participating in California's physician-assisted death laws and procedures. Physician-assisted death laws allowed qualified terminally-ill adults to voluntarily request and receive a prescription medication to hasten their death.[17]

## Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Adventist Health. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Adventist Health - Google News

## See also[edit]

* California Proposition 52, Continued Hospital Fee Revenue Dedicated to Medi-Cal Unless Voters Approve Changes (2016)
* California 2016 ballot measures
* 501(c)(3)

## External links[edit]

* Adventist Health homepage
* Adventist Health Facebook page
* Adventist Health Twitter

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Frank R Howard Memorial Hospital, "Community Health Plan 2014 Annual Update," accessed September 23, 2016
2. ↑ Adventist Health, "About Us," accessed September 23, 2016
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Spectrum Magazine, "Health Care Reform: An Interview with Adventist Health's Larry Mitchel," accessed October 20, 2016
4. ↑ Adventist Health, "Mission, Vision & Values," accessed September 23, 2016
5. ↑ Adventist Health, "Healing Heritage," accessed September 23, 2016
6. ↑ Adventist Health, "Medical Services," accessed September 23, 2016
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Guidestar, "Adventist Health, IRS Form 990, 2014," accessed October 22, 2016
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Guidestar, "Adventist Health, IRS Form 990, 2013," accessed October 22, 2016
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Guidestar, "Adventist Health, IRS Form 990, 2012," accessed October 22, 2016
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Yes on 52, "Our Coalition," accessed September 263, 2016
11. ↑ Adventist Health, "Leadership Team," accessed September 23, 2016
12. ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exempt Purposes - Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3)," accessed January 13, 2014
13. ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Life Cycle of a Public Charity/Private Foundation," accessed July 10, 2015
14. ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Exemption Requirements - 501(c)(3) Organizations," accessed January 13, 2014
15. ↑ Adventist Health, "Church Affiliation," accessed September 23, 2016
16. ↑ Adventist Health System, "Headquarters," accessed October 15, 2016
17. ↑ The Union Democrat, "End of Life Options Expanded," accessed October 24, 2016

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