From the CEO | Michael C. Tarwater

If there was a slogan that was hard to escape during 2006 it was "LiveWELL, Carolinas!"

“WELL” is an acronym for work, eat, live and learn. It’s a phrase that emphasizes the importance of re-examining old assumptions about who is responsible for healthcare. Wellness is no longer something that happens exclusively in healthcare settings. People must make healthier diet and lifestyle choices in every environment, be it at work, at home or in school.

Carolinas HealthCare System is not alone in reaching such a conclusion. However, we’ve not been content to sit on the sidelines while others search for ways to reduce costs by moderating demand for expensive medical services. During 2006, we assumed a national leadership role in finding ways to create healthier communities. This report summarizes related initiatives.

We took pride, for example, in creating lifestyle enhancement efforts that benefited our own employees, while setting an example of what could be achieved in other work settings. We took a strong stand against tobacco. In areas where growth was necessary, such as pediatric care, we constructed a major new facility to efficiently accommodate both current needs and future demands. We placed a high priority on patient safety and customer service.

We continued to advance the frontiers of medical knowledge through vigorous emphasis on research and education. And finally, we pursued these objectives while remaining true to our historical mission of guaranteeing all citizens ready access to quality care, regardless of ability to pay.

The impact of a system like ours is, of course, measurable in several dimensions. We simply do not have a mission that can be achieved without exerting a profound influence on the broader community.

With this in mind, a formal study was conducted during 2006 to evaluate—among other things—the sheer magnitude of CHS’s economic impact. This impact makes itself felt not only through payroll and taxes but the purchases of goods and services which have a ripple effect throughout the entire economy.

For example, CHS’s overall economic impact for 2006 was estimated at $1 billion for Mecklenburg County and $3 billion for the state of North Carolina. And CHS expenditures generate or support literally thousands of jobs beyond the 19,000-plus payroll positions located within the Charlotte Metropolitan Service Area.

Beneath these statistics is a human element as well. CHS employees are among the most generous supporters of charitable endeavors, in terms of both dollars raised and time invested, to enhance quality of life.

There are many enterprises and organizations which function as pillars to a healthy community. We are proud to be one of them, and pleased to play such an important role in meeting both the short-term needs and long-term aspirations of all the people we serve.

Michael C. Tarwater
President and CEO

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