Study: Med Center has healthy impact

Staff report
The health care sector in Greene County generates 591 jobs and more than $24.15 million for the area economy, the latest study by the Iowa Hospital Association finds.

Greene County Medical Center’s 391 employees alone add more than $15.5 million to the economy, according to the study.

The study also estimated that the medical center’s employees spend more than $2.4 million on retail sales and contribute $147,155 in state sales tax revenue.

“The importance of hospitals in counties like ours is becoming more and more critical,” medical center CEO Carl Behne said Friday in a statement. “Of course, the patient care provided close to home is most important, but the positive economic impact is important as well.

“Our employees are loyal to those we serve, as well as to the communities in which they serve.”

The IHA examined the jobs, income, retail sales and sales tax produced by hospitals and the state’s health care sector using hospital-submitted data on the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey of Hospitals and with software that other industries have used to determine their economic impact.

The study found that Iowa hospitals directly employ 71,348 people and create another 44,935 jobs outside the hospital. Hospitals provide $4.3 billion in salaries and benefits, and generate another $1.8 billion through other jobs that depend on hospitals.

As a whole, Iowa’s health care sector — which includes physicians, dentists and other practitioners; nursing home and residential care; other medical and health services; and pharmacies — contributes $15.5 billion to the state economy while directly and indirectly providing 312,821 jobs.