Serving Patients, Supporting Our Community at Merit Health Wesley
4/7/2025
As we celebrate Doctors’ Day this year, I want to thank the skilled physicians, along with the talented and energetic employees of Merit Health Wesley. When patients come through our doors, it is our privilege to provide quality, compassionate medical care to help them get well and live healthier. And we are proud to play an important part in the health of the Pine Belt with a collective impact in 2024 of approximately $189 million.
Delivering Medical Care
Across our hospital and clinical care sites, we delivered care and service at nearly a quarter of a million patient encounters in 2024, including 32,000 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 $85 million in charity and uncompensated care.
Strengthening Local Access to Healthcare
We are continuously investing resources to advance our medical care and services, support our workforce and strengthen operations. 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 the Pine Belt.
Addressing Social Determinants of Health
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 Extra Table and local food banks, donations to Edwards Street Fellowship Center, the ARC and Habitat for Humanity, we contribute to causes that strengthen our community and support better health for all.
Impacting the Local Economy
As one of the largest employers in the area, we support the health of our local economy through the jobs we offer and development of the future healthcare workforce. We recognize the need for trained medical professionals and are supporting the next generation of doctors through our craduate medical education program. We welcomed a new class of 20 first-year residents. The program now includes 24 emergency medicine and 12 transitional year residents. And, in 2024, we paid approximately $14.37 million in taxes, which support local infrastructure and civic services.
I’m proud of what Merit Health Wesley contributed 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. We are committed to continuing this journey to create a stronger, healthier Pine Belt together.
Travis Sisson is the chief executive officer of Merit Health Wesley.
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