In 2009, Habersham Medical Center in Demorest generated more than $83 million in revenue for the local economy according to a recent report by the Georgia Hospital Association, the state’s largest hospital trade association. The report also found that, during the same time period, Habersham Medical Center provided approximately $3.6 million in uncompensated care while providing more than 600 jobs.
The report revealed that Habersham Medical Center had direct expenditures of more than $33 million in 2009. When combined with the an economic multiplier developed by the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, the total economic impact of those expenditures was more than $83 million. This output multiplier considers the “ripple” effect of direct hospital expenditures on other sectors of the economy, such as medical supplies, durable medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Economic multipliers are used to model the resulting impact of a change in one industry on the “circular flow” of spending within an economy as a whole.
“This new report shows that, even in these difficult economic times, Habersham Medical Center has an enormous positive impact on our local economy,” said Dick Dwozan, president of Habersham Medical Center. “We thank the community’s unwavering support of their local hospital and will continue to work hard to ensure that the citizens of this community have access to health care services that are second to none in quality and affordability.” |