Legacy Health
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Legacy Health (Legacy), formed in 1970, is a unique health care system founded on the tradition and values of community health care organizations, the healing ministries of the Lutheran and Episcopal Churches and community physicians. This system of health care providers is dedicated to caring, compassion and excellence. The individual strengths and traditions that each provider brings enable Legacy, as a system, to be of greater benefit to the communities Legacy serves in its common mission. Legacy is the largest Oregon-based, nonprofit health care system in the State of Oregon and is one of the largest employers in the Portland metropolitan area. Legacy provides an integrated network of health care services, including acute and critical care, inpatient and outpatient treatment, primary and specialty physician services, hospice, laboratory, research, education and a variety of specialty services. Facilities within the System include six hospitals, inpatient and home hospice programs,
- Income
- $423.2 million
- Spending
- $409.8 million
- Spent on programs
- 99%
- Reserves
- 15.8 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- investment income, 69%
- Employees
- 17,705
- Highest pay
- $2.8 million, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 64% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 15.8 months of spending.
Debt
5 of 20It owes 69% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 16% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1599% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (health care, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 18 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
10 of 10Gave 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 March 31, 2025, 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 (2)
- $406.2 million spent. Legacy provides administrative services for the System in the areas of general administration, finance, legal services, human resources, information management, patient billing, quality and patient safety, and marketing and also oversees and supports health education and community wellness programs throughout the System's service area. Legacy is the sole corporate member of six nonprofit corporations: Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center (LEHHC), Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center (LGSHMC), Legacy Meridian Park Hospital (LMPH), Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center (LMHMC), Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital(LSCH), Silverton Health (SH) and Legacy Visiting Nurse Association (LVNA). While there is investment in a variety of community-based activities and programs as a part of its non-profit status, an overwhelming majority of Legacy community benefit comes in the form of providing uncompensated care. Legacy's policy of providing care regardless of the ability to pay makes it one of the region's largest providers of uncompensated care in the four-county metropolitan area. Legacy, collectively provided over $62 million, $261 million, $319 million, and $18 million in uncompensated care attributable to its financial assistance, Medicaid, Medicare, and other government programs, respectively, in fiscal year 2025. In addition, Legacy provided over $39 million in other community benefit activities during fiscal year 2025.In support of its mission, Legacy provides medically necessary patient care services that are discounted or free of charge to persons who have insufficient resources and/or who are uninsured. The criteria for charity care are determined based on eligibility for insurance coverage, household income, catastrophic medical events, or other information supporting a patients inability to pay for services provided. Specifically, Legacy provides an uninsured discount of 35% to self-pay patients with no coverage. A 75% discount is available to patients whose household income is between 301% and 400% of the federal poverty level. For patients whose household income is at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, a full subsidy is available. In certain situations, charity care is awarded to individuals without any patient action required. In addition to the household income criteria, other catastrophic or economic circumstances are considered in determining eligibility for charity care. During 2025, Legacy provided charity care on 92,018 patient accounts, representing 9,367 inpatient accounts, and 82,651 outpatient accounts. In 2025, 8% of the patients receiving charity care received a full subsidy representing roughly 20% of the total charity provided. The top five services provided to patients qualifying for charity care were emergency/trauma, surgery, cardiovascular, pediatrics, and general acute care.In addition to charity care, Legacy provides services under various states' Medicaid programs for low-income patients, to Medicare beneficiaries, and to beneficiaries under other government programs(such as Tricare). The cost of providing services to these beneficiaries generally exceeds the reimbursement from these programs.Legacy also employs financial counselors and social workers, who assist patients in obtaining coverage for their healthcare needs. This includes assistance with workers compensation, motor vehicle accident policies, COBRA, veterans' assistance, and public assistance programs such as Medicaid. This program assists many patients in obtaining coverage through a third party, reducing the patients' financial responsibility.
- As the health needs of communities surrounding our hospitals are frequently changing, Legacy continues to identify investments for underserved populations. One key collaboration addressing access to care is with Project Access NOW (PANOW). PANOW delivers innovative, integrated support for patients and healthcare providers across the tri-county region. Its Payment Support program assists low-income, uninsured and underinsured individuals by covering monthly insurance premiums, reducing out-of-pocket costs, and offering education on how to effectively use their insurance coverage. Legacy supports The Contingent - Emerging Leaders Internship Program. Through this program college students and recent graduates from ethnically diverse communities are matched with top companies throughout the Portland Metropolitan area for a 10-week paid summer internship. Program goals aim to provide this demographic with a comprehensive pathway to economic and personal success with structured programming that engages students throughout their professional journey. Students are paid between $18-19 per hour and may work up to 400 hours over the summer. Legacy encourages and supports employee volunteerism. Legacy donates $100 to nonprofit health, human service or education organizations in honor of employees who volunteer on personal time 50 hours a year. Employees may receive paid time when volunteering in one or two week time periods in local nonprofit organizations through Legacy's community service leave program.Non-cash donations of clinical and non-clinical services and items,such as screenings, support services, internships, information and referral services, and health fairs, are also provided to the community. In addition, free office space and other infrastructure services are made available to local non-profit organizations for a variety of uses.In FY25 Legacy Health contributed system-wide over $700M in community benefit across all reportable categories, including financial assistance. Of the $700M total community benefit, $1.9M was allocated through strategic investments and grant making to community-based organizations to address access to culturally and linguistically responsive health care, essential community services and resources, and a neighborhood for all.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending March 31, 2025, 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 October 13, 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 November 6, 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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending March 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since December 1993.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 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 November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.