Bluestem Health

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
412056863
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
Lincoln, NE, USA
Phone
4024761455
Rating
68
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Health Treatment Facilities, Primarily Outpatient

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$24,250,455
Expenses
$25,146,332
Assets
$28,739,702
Liabilities
$12,206,284

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

25 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • BRAD MEYER (CEO)

Highest reported compensation

  • DR MICHAEL ISRAEL (CMO): $391,238 total reported compensation
  • DR HEATHER KLEEMAN (PHYSICIAN): $333,987 total reported compensation
  • DR ANDREW SHAHAN (DEPUTY MEDICAL DIRECTOR): $316,315 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

To be a trusted resource for excellent medical, dental and behavioral health services.

What it reported doing in 2024

Medical services - bluestem health provides primary and preventive healthcare services to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured individuals in the community. Services include general medical care, immunizations, prenatal care, pediatric care, and chronic disease management.dental services - bluestem health provides comprehensive dental care to underserved populations, including preventive care, restorative procedures, oral surgery, and emergency dental care. The center offers services to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured individuals, ensuring access to quality dental care regardless of their ability to pay.pharmacy services - bluestem health participates in the federal 340(b) pharmacy program providing affordable prescription medications to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured patients. Services include medication dispensing, patient counseling, medication therapy management, and assistance accessing pharmaceutical assistance programs to ensure patients receive the needed medications.mental health services - bluestem health provides mental and behavioral services, including individual and group therapy, psychological evaluations, crisis intervention, and substance abuse treatment.ancillary services - bluestem health provides various ancillary services, including the sliding fee discount program, medicaid, snap, health insurance marketplace application assistance, laboratory testing, diagnostic imaging, and nutritional counseling. These services are integral to the center's holistic approach to patient care, supporting accurate diagnosis, effective treatment, and ongoing health management for all patients.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 86% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - Most voting board members are independent and the filed numbers largely add up. The filing does not identify recipients for some grant dollars and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 57
  • Transparency & Controls: 62
  • Accountability: 100
  • Sustainability: 27
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 63.5%; rating input score 64
  • Program expense ratio: 62.8%; rating input score 63
  • Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 93.8%; rating input score 94; 17th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Pass
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Missing
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 0%; rating input score 0; 4th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 66th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 9 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 100
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -3.7%; rating input score 19; 19th percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 1.14; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.42; rating input score 34; 34th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 9.8%; rating input score 21; 21st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 13.7% per year; rating input score 100; 81st percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 13.4% per year; rating input score 100; 83rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 18.6% per year; rating input score 100; 87th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 63.5% of revenue deployed · 62.8% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 14 of 14 board members independent · 9 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $15.8M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $391K · 25 people listed · 3 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $1.1M reported
  • Consistency: 33 of 34 current checks pass · 1 finding to review
  • Schedules: 8 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 9 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: Filed and resolved organization relationships.
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Transparency & Controls: Grant itemization coverage scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 19/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 41/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 21/100.
  • Review — Transparency & Controls: Domestic grant itemization did not reconcile in the filed values.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 34/100.