A transformation has occurred at Broadlawns Medical Center, our public hospital. It has become a community hospital model.

Broadlawns serves the medical needs of patients who can’t pay for their care. It also serves paying patients with Medicare and private insurance as a means of ensuring the long-term survival of the community safety net.

It has become one of the best public hospitals in the United States by relying on a “three-legged stool.”

First, the hospital has been supported by a separate property tax levy that compensates it for the care of Polk County residents who can’t afford to pay. In 2009, this tax levy totaled $48.3 million, serving 32,000 residents of Polk County.

Second, Broadlawns has a long history of employing dedicated, compassionate and talented medical professionals who are committed to serving uninsured patients.

Third, an institutional transformation began in 2004, best described as a change in the hospital’s corporate culture from a “poverty mentality” to an “abundance mentality.”

Under the poverty mentality, leaders focused on a lack of financial resources. They didn’t spend money to modernize physical facilities or quickly replace broken equipment. They didn’t try to increase revenues by increasing the number of paying patients with Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. They didn’t advertise or promote their high quality of care due to concerns about criticism for diverting limited funds away from patient care. This perpetuated the image of the poor people’s hospital.

In 2004, the current board of trustees began to focus on the good that Broadlawns does for our community. The board hired a new administrator with private for-profit hospital sector experience to take the hospital in a new direction. The board sought and received an industry seal of approval from The Joint Commission.

The trustees increased the transparency of Broadlawns’ medical outcomes to the public through its (www.broadlawns.org) website. They changed the compensation system to reward employees who seek ways to enhance revenues and control costs while maintaining high standards of care. A small advertising and public relations budget was established to tell the Broadlawns story.

The result has been an increasing stream of new patients. Four years of consistent profitability have allowed the board of trustees to embark on the biggest ($30 million) renovation project in the hospital’s history.

The Polk – Des Moines Taxpayers Association has commended the hospital for addressing critical needs and expanding operations and services with no increase to the tax levy.

These changes were made to ensure the long-term survival of our community’s safety-net hospital, and Broadlawns’ future looks bright.

William Taber is the president of Taber Asset Management LLC and a community representative on the Broadlawns Finance Committee.