In 1993, Memorial embarked on a pioneering effort that has shaped our role as a community health resource in a completely new way. Following the lead of futurists the likes of Leland Kaiser, Ph.D., our Board reflected deeply into Memorial's reason for being.

The result was a new definition of a healthy community and an innovative Community Benefit Policy that has given rise to unique, collaborative programs making a difference every day in our community.

Following is the Learning History of Memorial's tithing effort. It's the story of the people who originated the concept, those who developed the policy and formed the body to oversee it, those who helped to implement and manage it, and even those who received its benefits. We tried to capture and convey the experience and insights of these people in hopes their insight might help others.

As always, we welcome your feedback.