Editor, Times-Union:
When patients come through our doors at Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital and our outpatient clinical care sites, it is our privilege to provide quality, compassionate medical care to help them get well and live healthier. As a part of Lutheran Health Network, we are proud to play an important part in the health of Northeast Indiana and the larger region with a collective impact in 2024 of approximately $935 million.
Here in Kosciusko, we delivered care and service with more than 291,000 patient encounters in 2024, including more than 16,000 emergency department (ED) visits where lifesaving, medically necessary care is provided to every patient, regardless of their ability to pay. Our ED supports the most vulnerable members of our community, including those who cannot fully afford their medical care, by offering care at a significantly reduced cost or at no cost to the patient and working to connect them with resources for medications and medical support devices. Last year, we provided more than $24 million in charity and uncompensated care.
We are continuously investing resources to advance our medical care and services, support our workforce and strengthen operations. Our capital projects totaled approximately $32 million last year and included a $30 million renovation to Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital to meet the needs of our growing area and improve our surgical suites. We are continually considering how we can apply our resources to help patients access medical services, improve the patient experience and bring the latest innovations to Warsaw and the surrounding area.
In addition to the healthcare we provide, I am proud of our commitment to addressing other needs in our area. We support charitable organizations, including those that address social determinants of health such as food insecurity. Through service projects such as our annual Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive for Combined Community Services, we contribute to causes that strengthen our community and support better health for all.
I’m proud that Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital contributed more than $145 million directly to our community in 2024, and we couldn’t have done it without our great team of employees, strong relationships with the medical staff, and the trust placed in us by thousands of patients and their families.
Chad Towner
Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital
Chief Executive Officer
via email