New Jersey hospitals committed more than $7.8 billion to community health initiatives in 2024, according to a report released Wednesday by the New Jersey Hospital Association.
The NJHA says the total is an example of the sector’s longstanding pledge to improve health, expand access to care and strengthen communities across the state.
This investment helps address unmet local needs, fill gaps in public health programs and relieve the burden on state and local governments, the NJHA said.
Among other areas, it pointed to covering $5.14 billion in unpaid costs of patient care – a figure that includes charity care, unreimbursed care to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries and other care provided to patients without payment.
The annual view of hospitals’ community benefit activities is detailed in a new report: Health Starts Here: 2026 New Jersey Hospitals Community Impact Report.
“Hospital community benefit is measured not only in dollars invested, but in lives improved,” NJHA CEO Cathy Bennett said. “This commitment is demonstrated every single day – in a free health screening that identifies a serious health condition before it becomes a crisis; in school-based programming that sparks a career pathway for students; in research that provides new hope for current and future patients; and free and discounted healthcare services for those in need.”
Bennett said two other numbers are just as telling.
“In a single year, hospitals’ community-based efforts represent more than 42 million individual interactions that help individuals and families access care and overcome barriers to good health,” she said. “All told, roughly 21 cents of every hospital dollar is committed to addressing local community health needs.”
NJHA’s report is based on guidelines and data that nonprofit hospitals report annually to the Internal Revenue Service. In 2024, the most recent year available, IRS records show the following community benefit totals for New Jersey hospitals:
· Unpaid costs of patient care: $5.14 billion (detailed above);
· Community health improvement: $101 million (this is clinical services delivered in community settings and support for social determinants of health) ;
· Health professions education: $601.7 million (this is support for hospital workers, including scholarships, internships, clinical training sites and other continuing education);
· Subsidized health services: $1.45 billion (this is clinical services provided at a loss, based on local community needs);
· Research: $38 million (this is for studies and clinical trials to advance clinical care, treatments and innovation);
· Cash and in-kind contributions: $472 million (this is cash, equipment, supplies and staff time donated to local municipalities and organizations);
· Community-building activities: $2.97 million (this is additional support beyond healthcare, addressing needs such as housing, the environment and public safety).
Find NJHA’s Community Impact report
