Fairview Bethesda Hospital
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
Points to look into
- It owes more than it owns.
These come from the organization's own tax return. There may be a good explanation; ask the charity.
What it says it does
Fairview is driven to heal, discover, and educate for longer, healthier lives.
- Income
- $37.1 million
- Spending
- $36.2 million
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- -49.1 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 94%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 0
- Highest pay
- $5.7 million, president & ceo
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Weak: 30 out of 100. Higher than 5% 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
0 of 20It owes 599% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 3% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 27% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 0 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, 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, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2519 of 20 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 December 31, 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)
- $30.7 million spent. Fairview Bethesda Hospital is part of the Fairview Health Services system and provides post-acute care to patients following a catastrophic illness or injury. These patients have clinical needs justifying a hospital stay beyond 20 days, require a daily physician visit, and need interdisciplinary support and multiple therapy disciplines. Bethesda Hospital serves the patient regardless of the person's ability to pay. During the calendar year, the system provided $14,401of discounts to the uninsured and absorbed $32,120,676 of unpaid Medicare and Medicaid costs. The system also paid $456,619 in payments for Minnesota Care Tax and Medicaid Surcharges, which were used to fund care for the indigent and underinsured. Fairview Bethesda Hospital is part of Fairview Health Services. Fairview Health Services is an integrated academic health system located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and, along with its affiliates and subsidiaries, is one of the leading health care providers in Minnesota with $8 billion in operating revenue for 2024. Fairview offers a broad continuum of health care services through its hospitals, clinics, and other health care related operations and is a Minnesota nonprofit corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The most recent community health needs assessment (CHNA) identified 3 key areas as the greatest needs in our community - navigating and accessing care and resources; healing, connectedness, and mental health; structural racism and barriers to equity. Fairview Health Services is meeting the needs of the community by focusing on racial and ethnic populations experiencing health disparities and people experiencing poverty through partnering with the community to build solutions, removing barriers to create and expand relevant programs and focused services. Please see Schedule H for a description of additional services, community benefit activities, and the full spectrum of charity care that Fairview Health Services provides to the community. Fairview serves the entire twelve-county Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro Area, as well as communities throughout greater Minnesota and portions of Northern Iowa and Western Wisconsin, and the Dakotas. It is one of the most comprehensive and geographically accessible systems in Minnesota. The Fairview System consists of ten hospitals, including M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center and M Health Fairview Masonic Children's Hospital (collectively, "UMMC"), which is the adult and pediatric teaching hospital of the University of Minnesota. UMMC along with seven of Fairview's other hospitals in the Metro Area. Fairview also has two hospitals located in northern Minnesota. Fairview operates over 80 primary and specialty care clinics, 37 retail and specialty pharmacies, pharmacy benefit management services, rehabilitation centers, a physician network, senior care housing and long- term care facilities, medical transportation and has ownership interest in six ambulatory care centers. Fairview, through its integrated care model, aims to deliver the benefits of academic medicine to more patients and families by expanding care, research, and education by offering access to a greater pool of physicians and patients, while seeking to reduce the total cost of care for patients. Fairview Health Services is an integrated academic health system located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and, along with its affiliates and subsidiaries, is one of the leading health care providers in Minnesota with $8 billion in operating revenue for 2024. Fairview offers a broad continuum of health care services through its hospitals, clinics, and other health care related operations and is a Minnesota nonprofit corporation that is exempt from federal income taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The most recent community health needs assessment (CHNA) identified 3 key areas as the greatest needs in our community - navigating and accessing care and resources; healing, connectedness, and mental health; structural racism and barriers to equity. Fairview Health Services is meeting the needs of the community by focusing on racial and ethnic populations experiencing health disparities and people experiencing poverty through partnering with the community to build solutions, removing barriers to create and expand relevant programs and focused services. Please see Schedule H for a description of additional services, community benefit activities, and the full spectrum of charity care that Fairview Health Services provides to the community. Fairview serves the entire twelve-county Minneapolis/St. Paul Metro Area, as well as communities throughout greater Minnesota and portions of Northern Iowa and Western Wisconsin, and the Dakotas. It is one of the most comprehensive and geographically accessible systems in Minnesota. The Fairview System consists of ten hospitals, including M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center and M Health Fairview Masonic Children's Hospital (collectively, "UMMC"), which is the adult and pediatric teaching hospital of the University of Minnesota. UMMC along with seven of Fairview's other hospitals in the Metro Area. Fairview also has two hospitals located in northern Minnesota. Fairview operates over 80 primary and specialty care clinics, 37 retail and specialty pharmacies, pharmacy benefit management services, rehabilitation centers, a physician network, senior care housing and long- term care facilities, medical transportation and has ownership interest in six ambulatory care centers. Fairview, through its integrated care model, aims to deliver the benefits of academic medicine to more patients and families by expanding care, research, and education by offering access to a greater pool of physicians and patients, while seeking to reduce the total cost of care for patients. Fairview, the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Physic
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 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 December 2024.
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 October 1987.
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.
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.