If you pay income taxes to the state of Georgia, you have a unique opportunity to use those tax contributions to benefit rural hospitals including Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin and Atrium Health Navicent Peach through the Georgia HEART (Help Enhance Access to Rural Treatment) Hospital Program.
For many years, due to demographic, economic and health care industry challenges, Georgia’s rural hospitals have been facing a financial crisis that has jeopardized rural Georgians’ access to adequate health care. At a time when many rural hospitals are closing, this program allows 54 Georgia hospitals to increase their funding and their ability to provide for the health care needs in their communities.
Through the program, Georgia taxpayers can receive a state income tax credit for 100 percent of the amount they contribute to qualified rural hospitals.
“Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin is incredibly thankful for the $850,000 taxpayers contributed through the Georgia HEART program in 2023, helping us to upgrade radiology and fluoroscopy equipment and purchase MRI compatible monitors,” said Atrium Health Navicent Baldwin Chief Operating Officer Thomas Goss. “It’s not often that you get the opportunity to designate how your tax money is spent, but with this program, you can keep those dollars close to home by supporting local rural hospitals.”
Georgia HEART program participants also contributed nearly $240,000 to Atrium Health Navicent Peach in 2023, helping the hospital to purchase additional telemetry equipment, and to convert the radiology images to a digital platform that decreases radiation exposure, improves turnaround times and improves the resolution of the images.
“Keeping our equipment updated is vital to ensuring all patients receive the best care, no matter where they live,” said Atrium Health Navicent Peach CEO Laura Gentry who also serves as vice president for Atrium Health’s Georgia market primary care service line. “Hospitals like ours provide essential services to residents of rural communities, and we’re thankful to Georgia HEART program participants for their support!”
Individual tax filers and those married filing separately can contribute up $5,000 per tax year. Married taxpayers filing jointly can contribute up to $10,000. C Corporation, Trusts and Pass-Through Entities electing to pay tax at the entity level can contribute up to 75 percent of their annual Georgia tax liability. Individual owners of S-Corps, LLCs or Partnerships that are not paying tax at the entity level can contribute up to $10,000.
According to the Georgia HEART Hospital Program website, more than $53 million in tax credits remain available in 2024. That number resets to $100 million for the next tax year.
To sign up, visit www.georgiaheart.org. For additional information, email Joy.MotenThomas@atriumhealth.org.