Role of Hospitals: Samaritan Health Services

Responding to community needs is essential to Samaritan Health Services’ mission of “Building Healthier Communities Together.” To that end, the health system, based in Corvallis, Oregon, collaborates with local organizations to serve people who need health care, regardless of their circumstances, and to keep them healthy once they leave the hospital and health care facilities.

These efforts are backed up by Samaritan’s vast investment in community health. In 2020, the health system invested more than $126 million in a wide range of community health improvement activities, including increased education and access, assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic and to regional wildfires, health-related research, training for health professionals and grants to local nonprofits in support of health initiatives. Community benefit services include immunizations for children in low-income households, health screenings transportation vouchers for appointments, housing for families in need and violence prevention programs.

One example of Samaritan Health Services’ investment in community is its partnership with Jackson Street Youth Services. With funding from the health system, Jackson Street Youth Services offers adolescents a safe place to live and resources to work through crises. The agency provides shelter as well as outreach and support groups across the communities it serves.

For more information on Samaritan Health Services’ community health improvement initiatives, read the 2022 Community Health Impact Report.