Athens Regional Medical Center

ATHENS REGIONAL CONTRIBUTES TO LOCAL ECONOMIC HEALTH

ATHENS - According to an annual report prepared by the Georgia Hospital Association, Athens Regional Medical Center, Inc. (ARMC) is a major force in the economic health of the Athens/Clarke County area. The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) is the state's largest hospital trade association. Its report is based on a study prepared by the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University.

The GHA report showed ARMC contributed more than $500 million to the local economy in 2000. A total of $748 million was contributed by hospitals in the Athens MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Areas). The direct expenditure of ARMC was more than $168 million, however, when combined with an output multiplier developed by the United States Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis, the hospital's total economic impact was more than $377 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. A copy of the report is attached.

In addition to measuring the economic impact of Georgia hospitals, the report also measured community benefits contributed by hospitals and health systems around the state. The report shows that in the year 2000, ARMC provided more than $18 million in community benefits or uncompensated care, which includes indigent care, charity care, bad debt write-offs and other free care. The total amount of uncompensated care donated in the Athens MSA was $21 million. The report also shows ARMC, the second largest employer in the region, generated more than $128 million in household earnings during 2000. Total household earnings generated by the Athens MSA in 2000 were $189.6 million. The household earnings multiplier measures the increased economic contributions from households employed directly or indirectly by hospitals through daily living expenditures.

According to John A. Drew, President and Chief Executive Officer of Athens Regional Medical Center, "Our Medical Center serves an area of 17 counties in northeast Georgia. Providing them the highest quality of healthcare is our paramount goal." He continued, "We are extremely proud of the economic viability and support our health system brings to the region now and in the future."

This page last modified: April 22, 2004
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