(May 1, 2010) Sellersville, PA — Grand View Hospital annually contributes nearly $373 million to the region’s economy, according to a report released by The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). The total number of hours worked by full- and part-time employees totals more than equivalent of 1,200 full time employees in Upper Bucks and Montgomery Counties and surrounding areas.
Grand View’s total spending exceeded $161 million. Based on regional economic multipliers from the Bureau of Economic Analysis of US Department of Commerce, the ripple benefit for the local economy was an additional $212 million.
A report prepared by HAP entitled Pennsylvania Hospitals Strengthen Pennsylvania’s Economy shows that Pennsylvania hospitals provided more than 596,000 hospital and hospital service-related jobs to the commonwealth’s workforce and $89.8 billion to the state’s economy in 2008—representing a nearly $6 billion increase over 2007.
Grand View Hospital is an economic and social anchor providing healing, health, and hope in our community,” said Mary DeHaven, hospital spokesperson. “We also provide a safe haven and a safety net for our most vulnerable citizens.”
But DeHaven warned that the recession is taking its toll on Grand View and other hospitals, threatening their very survival, and putting their communities at risk—through reduced access to health care and job losses.
“At a time when statewide unemployment is hovering near the highest level in 25 years, and all signs point to a continued period of joblessness, hospitals continue to be the biggest employers in their communities,” said DeHaven.
“Investments in Pennsylvania’s hospitals mean investments in our patients, our workforce, and our economy,” said Carolyn F. Scanlan, President and CEO of The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP). “As lawmakers craft state and federal budgets, they need to ensure adequate payments for hospitals to remain fiscally healthy and to maintain their status as national leaders in health care quality.”
Pennsylvania’s hospitals annually care for 1.7 million inpatients and 35.9 million outpatients, and they evaluate 5.8 million injured and ill people in their emergency departments. In 55 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties, hospitals are among the top five employers.
Scanlan cautioned that if state and federal budget proposals push for reductions in hospital payments, they will be jeopardizing the very jobs that are keeping many local economies together. Recent Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry statistics show that while non-farm employment in Pennsylvania decreased by 2.59 percent between December 2008 and December 2009, direct hospital employment remained fairly steady, with only a slight decline of 0.15 percent during the same period.
Pennsylvania Hospitals Strengthen Pennsylvania’s Economy is available online at www.gvh.org. The report updates HAP studies released in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2009, and includes data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, and HAP member hospitals and health systems.
Grand View Hospital, Bucks County’s first hospital, has provided residents of Bucks and Montgomery counties with comprehensive health care services since 1913. Grand View offers a range of inpatient and outpatient care – particularly emphasizing the areas of surgery and orthopaedics, women's and children's health, cancer treatment, and heart care.
Grand View Hospital received five stars in 2010 for total knee replacement from HealthGrades®, the nation’s leading healthcare ratings organization. Grand View is also the only hospital in Bucks and Montgomery counties to receive a five-star rating in total joint replacement in 2010. This is not the first time that Grand View has been honored by HealthGrades. In 2008 and 2009, HealthGrades® awarded Grand View the Distinguished Hospital Award for Patient Safety™. The American Stroke Association also recently awarded Grand View Hospital its Get With The GuidelinesSM–Stroke (GWTG–Stroke) Gold Performance Achievement Award.