Springfield Medical Care Systems Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Our mission is to excel at providing personalized, quality care, where people come first. Our vision is to be the provider of choice by creating a professional environment where patients want to receive care, clinicians want to practice medicine, and employees want to work. Our plan is to accomplish this by:- Empowering our caregivers with education, technology, and opportunities for personal and professional development.- Creating an environment, which builds collaborative relationships among clinicians, staff, and patients.- Providing our communities with the educational resources and support to make informed decisions emphasizing prevention and wellness; and,- Offering safe, personalized, high-quality care.
- Income
- $28.1 million
- Spending
- $31.4 million
- Spent on programs
- 87%
- Reserves
- -0.3 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 85%
- Employees
- 305
- Volunteers
- 13
- Highest pay
- $292,485, physician
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 44 out of 100. Higher than 22% of charities in its peer group (health care, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 46% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 12% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 3% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1587% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 90 out of 100. Higher than 29% of charities in its peer group (health care, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2513 of 13 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
0 of 10Did not give the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $27.4 million spent. Springfield Medical Care Systems (SMCS) operates a five-site, federally qualified health center network. These offices provide access for primary and preventive health care to the general population and make financial assistance and charity care available to all based on a sliding fee scale. Services include primary and preventive health care for people of all ages, pediatrics, health screenings, behavioral health programs, school-based clinics, dental care, vision care, and a 340B discount pharmacy program.Primary Care Services - Our primary care network provides ongoing care and outreach to our service area, utilizing a medical home model of care and focusing on prevention and efficient care management. We work closely with the Quality Improvement Collaborative, OneCare AccountableCare, and the Vermont Blueprint for Health to develop and implement strategies for improving overall population health outcomes. Our offices strive to provide the best possible outcomes. Our goal is to deliver the highest quality care, i.e. appropriate care provided in the appropriate setting, with the end result being improved health outcomes, high patient satisfaction, and improved cost efficiency.Our Community Health Team (CHT) holds monthly public meetings to collaborate and partner with area agencies to remove barriers and improve access to care. The team now approximates 45 organizations and communicates regularly with hundreds of individual participants. New members are welcomed at each meeting as word of the team spreads throughout the community. The Team serves as a central community contact point (similar to a hub and spoke model) to facilitate communications, networking and collaboration among all area services.Through the employment of primary care physicians and allied health professionals in Charlestown, NH; Ludlow, VT; Londonderry, VT; and Springfield, VT, SMCS provides access to high quality medical care with emphasis on prevention and wellness in these communities. Due to the tenuous economics of rural primary care practices, this physician availability would not exist without SMCS support.The Ludlow area has been designated by the State of Vermont as a Health Professional Shortage Area. The state and federal governments have designated the Charlestown, NH area as serving a medically-underserved population. These health centers serve an inordinately high Medicare and Medicaid caseload. As of September 2024, SMCS cares for a total of 24,525 unique patients.Behavioral HealthSMCS has a comprehensive outpatient Mental Health/ Substance abuse program and provides outpatient behavioral health counseling. With early adoption of Healthy People and NCQI Medical Home guidelines, SMCS aggressively integrated behavioral health counseling with primary care medical care by virtue of the on-site stationing of behavioral health at its primary care (FQHC) sites. SMCS practitioners coordinate care with Springfield Hospital inpatient services and, to an even greater extent, work with Springfield Hospital emergency department to assist in managing patients that present with mental health related diagnosis.Dental Care - SMCS' Ludlow and Chester offices serve a growing need for dental services throughout the SMCS primary care service area. Patients from all offices can be referred to the Dental Centers for care, and a financial assistance program is available for those needing assistance, based on a sliding fee scale. The two locations provided 10,533 visits in FY '24.Vision - SMCS offers vision services through North Star Vision Care in Springfield, VT and offers comprehensive eye care services including ophthalmology and optometry. In 2024, vision provided 3,957 visits.Pharmacy Program - SMCS operates a 340B pharmacy charity program that helps expand access to affordable medications. Eligible patients can obtain their prescriptions at little to no cost. This program operates in partnership with five local pharmacies in Vermont: Bellows Falls, Springfield, and Ludlow, ands well as two pharmacies in Claremont, NH.Charity Care Policy - SMCS has a charity care policy under which patients who meet certain criteria will receive care without charge, or at amounts less than established rates. Patients qualify for 50% charity care at up to 200% of the federal poverty guideline. SMCS does not bill patients nor pursue collection of amounts determined to qualify as charity care. In the fiscal year, which ended on September 30, 2024, charges foregone for charity care, based on established rates, amounted to approximately $110K.Eligibility Assistance and Enrollment Counseling Services SMCS works in partnership with Valley Health Connections (VHC), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, to provide SMCS patients certified enrollment assistance and consults to help remove barriers and facilitate access to health care for uninsured and under-insured people. VHC reports many people need guidance to navigate insurance enrollment processes and even through insured, care remains difficult to afford for many Vermonters. These services include enrollment assistance for preventive health care, health education and screenings, referrals to providers for ongoing health care through a medical/dental home, and assistance with enrollment in State and local programs that help pay for health care, medication, dental, and other public programs. Consults are also provided for SMCS New Hampshire residents who need assistance accessing NH services.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1982.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
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