Georgia HEART Gives Taxpayers Opportunity to Earn Tax Credit When Supporting Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus
You have to pay taxes, but do you know what your tax dollars are used for? It’s your money, and whether you’re taxed $50 or $50,000, you should have a choice on how it’s used or who it benefits, and now you do.
Georgia is the only state in the nation which is afforded the opportunity to financially support its rural hospitals–at no cost. Enacted by the Georgia General Assembly, the HEART (Helping to Enhance Access to Rural Treatment) rural hospital tax credit program allows a 100% state tax credit for individuals, married couples and corporations who redirect their tax liability to a designated rural hospital. Lawmakers enacted the HEART tax credit program to encourage taxpayers throughout Georgia to learn more about the financial and other challenges rural hospitals face and to contribute to improve their financial condition and patient offerings.
In other words, you can choose to help improve health care in your community by redirecting your state tax to the Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus through the Georgia HEART program.
Southeastern Bank recently took advantage of the HEART program, and graciously contributed $100,000 to the Health System’s Camden Campus.
“Southeastern Bank is proud to support the Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus through the rural hospital tax credit program,” said Con Holland, President and CEO of Southeastern Bank. “Our donation and others like it provide the means for rural hospitals to expand services, specialties and treatments so that one day patients in rural communities can receive all the care they need in hometown hospitals like the Camden Campus. When patients can get the skilled care they need locally, we all benefit from improved quality of life, economic growth and peace of mind. This is of particular interest to us because many of our customers and employees live in the rural markets we serve through our network of bank offices in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida.”
In 2019, the Health System used its HEART contributions to add 3D Mammography to the Camden Campus. Contributions received in 2020 have been applied towards the new Wound Care Center and ROSA, robotic surgical technology used for knee replacements.
Currently, 58 rural hospitals are eligible to receive HEART tax credit-eligible contributions from individuals and businesses across the state. Ameris Bank has donated $2,000,000 in financial support to 19 rural hospitals located throughout the bank’s footprint in Georgia, including $300,000 to the Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus.
“Contributions through the Georgia HEART program furthers our ability to provide quality health care for our community and the families we serve,” said Michael D. Scherneck, president and CEO, Southeast Georgia Health System. “It doesn’t matter how little the contribution is, it will truly make a difference by helping us better serve our patients, and improving the quality of life for our entire service area.”
But the 2020 opportunity will soon end. Applications must be submitted and approved by the Georgia Department of Revenue and tax liability contributions completed by December 31, 2020.
Follow these easy steps to sign up for your 100% tax credit:
- Complete and submit your 2020 HEART Tax Credit Form at GeorgiaHeart.org (takes two minutes!)
- Georgia HEART will submit your tax credit pre-approval form on your behalf to the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) in the order in which it is received.
- Submit your contribution via credit card or check made payable to Southeast Georgia Health System to Georgia HEART for deposit to the hospital’s account by December 31, 2020.
- Georgia HEART will report your contribution to the DOR on your behalf and will send you a tax receipt.
- You will claim the credit when you file your 2020 tax return.
Your contribution will increase Southeast Georgia Health System’s funding and ability to add new services, programs and technology to the Camden Campus.
For more information about the Georgia HEART rural hospital tax credit program, please visit GeorgiaHeart.org or sghs.org/gaheart.
About Southeast Georgia Health System
Southeast Georgia Health System is a not-for-profit health system comprised of two acute care hospitals, two long term care facilities, two comprehensive Cancer Care Centers and multiple specialty care centers, including orthopedic and spine care, joint replacement, breast care, maternity, outpatient rehabilitation, sleep management and wound care. The Brunswick Campus Cancer Care Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and offers the only CyberKnife® M6 with MLC technology in Georgia. Additionally, the Southeast Georgia Physician Associates medical group includes more than 140 providers working in 20 different medical specialties at more than 50 locations. The Health System is part of Coastal Community Health, a regional affiliation between Baptist Health and Southeast Georgia Health System forming a highly integrated hospital network focused on significant initiatives designed to enhance the quality and value of care provided to our contiguous communities. In 2020, the Brunswick Campus was rated High Performing in COPD and Heart Failure by the U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit sghs.org.
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