NAPH Members Inject Economic Life Into Their Communities - September 7, 2011

As the nation struggles with a continuously high unemployment rate, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an increase of 0.16 percent in employment at hospitals across the country during the month of August. This increase in employment at our nation’s hospitals underscores the economic impact health care providers have on their communities. Recently, NAPH conducted an analysis of NAPH member hospitals that shows the economic life members inject into their communities. NAPH members create jobs; purchase services, supplies and equipment from vendors; and train doctors, nurses and other health care professionals. In FY 2009, NAPH members drove more than 800,000 jobs nationally and had an impact on their respective state economies totaling $120 billion. Such evidence emphasizes the vital role of safety net hospitals—not only do they provide care for the nation’s most vulnerable, but they also play an integral role in keeping Americans working. NAPH is working to provide more detailed results from this analysis—check Newsline and the NAPH website regularly for more information.