Georgia HEART Hospital Program: Dedicate Part of Your State Taxes to Help Rural Hospitals

St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital and St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital will benefit from the contributions you make.

Something big is happening in the state of Georgia: the Georgia HEART Hospital Program. Through this program, Georgia taxpayers are allowed to claim a 100 percent state income tax credit in exchange for their contribution to eligible rural hospitals.

St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Greensboro and St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital in Lavonia are both eligible. Your contributions help our hospitals provide top-quality services, technology and facilities to better meet the needs of the communities we serve.

The Georgia Heart Hospital Program is the first of its kind

The Georgia Heart Hospital Program is the first of its kind in the United States and is vital to many of our state's rural hospitals. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, many rural hospitals in Georgia were struggling financially. Then the pandemic made waves all over the United States and those financial struggles intensified. Now more than ever, rural hospitals appreciate and often depended upon resources the community contributes in order to promote the life-saving and life-improving care that patients need. Today, the financial crisis facing rural hospitals continues to jeopardizes access to medical care for large numbers of rural Georgians.

That’s where Georgia taxpayers come in. Contributions made to rural hospitals such as Good Samaritan Hospital and Sacred Heart Hospital can make an enormous difference. The Georgia HEART tax credit program benefits all parties involved. As a Georgia taxpayer, you have the ability to tell the State how you want your tax dollars spent. As your local hospital, the benefits are endless: we can add more services to best serve patients, we can improve our technology and facilities, and we can promote rural Georgians’ access to health care services. The community benefits, too, because access to quality healthcare is essential for health, safety and economic prosperity.

Make a meaningful change in your community

By participating in the Georgia HEART Hospital Program, you can make meaningful change in our very own community. For example, in recent years:

• Good Samaritan Hospital has used contributions to continue telemedicine services, which allow more patients to stay in their local hospital; expand and enhance access to specialty services such as pacemaker implantation and follow-up; ensure highest-quality care, and support equipment repair and replacement.
• Sacred Heart Hospital has also used contributions to expand telemedicine services, allowing more patients to stay in their local hospital; expand and enhance access to specialty services including cardiac care, 3D mammography and orthopedic surgery; support equipment repair and replacement, and ensure the highest-quality care is provided locally.

These types of measures save lives. Contributions received from the Georgia HEART Hospital Program help ensure that we are able to continue providing top-quality care for our patients and communities.

How much can I contribute?

In the first half of the year, there are limits to the amount individual taxpayers can contribute. The limits are:

• Individual Filer up to $5,000
• Married Filing Jointly up to $10,000
• Pass-Through Owner up to $10,000

However, as of July 1st, there are no limits until the state reaches $60 million worth of approved tax credit applications. At that point, the program closes until Jan. 1 next year.

Similarly, “C” corporations or trusts are allowed a 100 percent Georgia income tax credit for contributions to RHOs (rural hospital organizations), for amounts as large as 75 percent of the corporation’s or trust’s annual state income tax liability. On top of this, “C” corporations and trusts qualify for an additional federal business expense deduction. Not to mention, contributing to this cause will increase business and community goodwill for such companies.

How do I participate?

Taxpayers can get involved with the Georgia HEART Hospital Program by following these steps:

• Learn more and submit your HEART Tax Credit application at www.georgiaheart.org. Georgia HEART then submits your application to the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR).
• HEART and DOR notify you of approved tax credit amount and payment deadline.
• You send a check made payable to your designated rural hospital to HEART for deposit to the hospital’s account within 180 days of approval, or December 31, whichever comes first.
• Georgia HEART sends you Form IT-QRHOE-RHO1 (tax receipt) for claiming the credit on your recent Georgia income tax return.

Again, St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Hospital and St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital will benefit from the contributions you make through the Georgia HEART Hospital Program. It's a great way to enhance the quality of local healthcare and maximize the power of your state tax dollars. We hope you’ll consider allocating your tax dollars to help St. Mary's rural hospitals continue to provide exceptional care for life.

I want to participate. What should I do?

Thank you! We suggest you talk to your tax advisor or contact:

• Sacred Heart Hospital - Lauren Papka, Director, Administrative and Support Services, LPapka@stmaryssacredheart.org
• Good Samaritan Hospital – Bria Brown, Manager, Support Services, Bria.Brown@stmarysgoodsam.org