HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania’s hospitals annually contribute nearly $56 billion to the state’s economy, according to a new report released today by The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). Beyond Health Care - Pennsylvania Hospitals: Key Assets to the State’s Economy shows the positive effects Pennsylvania’s hospitals have on entire communities. The report updates a 2003 HAP study and presents new data from HAP and other sources.
“Hospitals are cornerstones of their communities, providing quality care to all who come through their doors,” said HAP President and CEO Carolyn F. Scanlan. “Pennsylvania’s hospitals are also economic catalysts, providing a constant source of stable, well-paying jobs; stimulating multiple business opportunities in other fields; serving as buyers of local goods and services; and contributing to the tax base at the state and local levels.
“Pennsylvania’s hospitals are home to technological innovations and medical breakthroughs, and they are safe havens for Pennsylvania’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.”
Among the report’s findings, Pennsylvania’s hospitals annually: -- Provide a total contribution of nearly $56 billion to the state’s economy. -- $23.4 billion in direct total spending. -- $32.3 billion in secondary spending. -- Support the employment of almost 523,000 Pennsylvanians. -- Nearly 262,000 in direct employment. -- Nearly 261,000 in secondary employment. -- Generate total labor income of nearly $20.4 billion.
Data in the report are from the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry.
Also included in the HAP report are data from an economic impact report conducted by The Lewin Group; a report by Tripp-Umbach Healthcare Consulting on the economic impact of medical colleges and teaching hospitals; a Milken Institute report on the economic contributions of biotech and life sciences clusters; and a MEDTAP International study on the value of investment in health care.
Scanlan said, “HAP’s data, combined with these independent studies, show that it is imperative for policymakers to consider the health of hospitals - and, by extension, their communities - as they make decisions about critical health care issues, including economic development funding, reimbursements for care, medical liability reform, and workforce retention and recruitment.”
A copy of Beyond Health Care - Pennsylvania Hospitals: Key Assets to the State’s Economy is available online at http://www.haponline.org/communications/news/releases or upon request from rbaumgarten@haponline.org.
HAP is a statewide membership services organization that advocates for nearly 250 Pennsylvania acute and specialty care, primary care, subacute care, long-term care, home health, and hospice providers, as well as the patients and communities they serve. Additional information about HAP is available online at http://www.haponline.org/.
The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania
CONTACT: Roger H. Baumgarten, Director, Media Relations, Hospital &Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, +1-717-561-5342, Cell:+1-717-329-9537, rbaumgarten@haponline.org
Web site: http://www.haponline.org/communications/news/releases
Web site: http://www.haponline.org/
