Sharp HealthCare annual community benefit plan and report
Addressing the needs of our community
The Community Benefit Plan and Report is a testament to the care that Sharp provides to the San Diego community — care that extends above and beyond the walls of our hospitals and health care facilities.
In fiscal year 2025, Sharp HealthCare provided more than $751 million in community benefit programs and services. This amounts to more than $2 million a day, or about one of every $7 of our net revenue, spent in direct support of the community.
Sharp community benefit highlights
More than $2.4 million supported the following efforts:
Education, screening and support programs
Participation in community events addressing the unique needs of San Diegans
Collaboration with local schools to promote student interest and provide health career pathways
Involvement of Sharp leadership and staff in organizations to improve community health
Financial support to nonprofit community health organizations
More than $3.9 million helped serve the San Diego community through:
Financial support for medications, transportation and other needs of patients who cannot afford to pay
Safety and support programs for older adults and people with disabilities
Collaboration with Federally Qualified Health Centers to provide preventive cancer screenings to underinsured and uninsured community members
Programs to facilitate access to care for individuals who lack adequate health care coverage, including education and enrollment assistance
Contribution of time to community-based organizations through the Sharp Lends a Hand program
More than $3.1 million helped provide:
Supervision and support for students, interns and residents
Provision of clinical experience, classes and lectures for students pursuing degrees in health care
Education and training programs for medical, nursing, pharmacy and other community health care professionals
Dissemination of evidence-based practices for health care delivery and research
More than $742 million was contributed in the following ways:
Uncompensated care for patients who lack financial resources to pay for health care services
Unreimbursed costs of government programs such as Medi-Cal and Medicare
Improving environmental and community health
Sharp participates in community emergency and disaster planning activities to protect the health and safety of San Diegans, and through its All Ways Green initiative, is an innovator in green practices to improve environmental and community health. Further, the Sharp Equality Alliance promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging through education and dialogue with Sharp team members and community partners.
Reinvesting savings back into patient care
Through participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program, select Sharp hospitals are permitted to purchase outpatient drugs at reduced prices. The savings from this program are used to offset patient care costs for Sharp's most vulnerable patient populations, as well as to assist with patient access to medications through Sharp's Patient Assistance Program. Participation enables Sharp entities to stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible, reaching more eligible patients and providing more comprehensive services.
In fiscal year 2025, participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program provided a cost savings of more than $127 million to help expand programs and medication access to Sharp's patients in need.
Read our reports
Sharp hospitals use the findings from their triennial Community Health Needs Assessment to help guide the Sharp HealthCare Community Benefit Plan and Report, as well as individual Sharp hospital implementation strategies.
To learn more about the positive impact Sharp physicians, nurses, staff and volunteers have on the San Diego community, read the complete Sharp HealthCare Community Benefit Plan and Report, Fiscal Year 2025, or the Executive Summary.