The Georgia HEART 2023 Annual Report reveals how, through the Georgia Rural Hospital Tax Credit program, concerned Georgia citizens have helped enhance the financial stability, operational capacities, and health care outcomes of rural hospitals throughout the state.
During the seven years of its existence, the Georgia HEART Hospital Program has generated an impressive $358 million in support of eligible rural hospitals, including the highest-ever total of $72.4 million in 2023. The participating rural hospitals have used these critical funds to expand and upgrade services, as well as to acquire vital medical equipment such as X-ray detectors, MRI machines, 3D mammogram equipment, and CT scanners. These and other investments have enhanced and modernized healthcare delivery, including maternity and newborn care, surgical procedures, diagnostics, and overall patient care.
Meanwhile, the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts’ (“DOAA”) most recent Performance Audit Report, evidences that the participating rural hospitals, involved state agencies, and Georgia HEART are complying with program requirements and continue to strengthen controls around the program.
DOAA recommendations affecting Georgia HEART include (1) DOR should create a mechanism to allow changes to reported contributions, and meanwhile, Georgia HEART should notify DOR about any erroneous reporting identified during its internal audits, and (2) DOR should modify its system to allow the reporting of a $0 contribution if the donor has indicated they will not contribute. With respect to the second recommendation, HEART will no longer report $1 contributions, the practice of which was designed to release the unused tax credits on a timely basis. Although doing so resulted in the preservation and taxpayer use of $10,374,056 of credits that would have been “wasted” over the past two years, at the DOAA’s recommendation, HEART will no longer engage in this practice.
Georgia HEART has adopted the two DOAA recommendations pertaining to HEART’s administration of the program.
Ben Saylor, President and CEO of HEART, emphasized the program’s impact: “The tremendous success of the Georgia HEART Hospital Program is due to outstanding teamwork among visionary lawmakers, rural hospitals, the DOR, the DOAA, the HEART staff, and, most importantly, engaged Georgia citizens. Due to supportive lawmakers extending the program through 2029 and increasing the annual tax credit cap to $100 million beginning in 2025, the Georgia HEART Hospital Program and its partners will have a further life-saving impact on rural communities throughout Georgia.”