Emory-Adventist Hospital Has $100 Million Impact on Local, State Economy

A recent report from the Georgia Hospital Association found that despite being in the midst of a recession Emory-Adventist Hospital had an estimated economic impact of $115,439,156 in 2010.

The GHA’s estimate was based on the “ripple effect” of the 88-bed hospital’s $49,904,529 in expenditures on the economy in areas like medical supplies and equipment. The ripple effect is an economic multiplier developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis.

In a press release announcing the results of the study, a representative from EAH emphasized that not only did the hospital have more than a $100 million economic impact in a recession; it did so while providing more than $8 million in uncompensated care for uninsured patients.

According to the U.S. Census, 49.9 million Americans were without health insurance in 2010. Dennis Kiley, EAH’s CEO, noted that the hospital has seen an increase in the number of uninsured patients while the state is paying less than what it costs to treat Medicaid patients.

“Our local health care system is indispensable,” he said in the press release. “It is the primary guardian of health in our community and is the key building block for everything else in our community including education and economic vitality. It is our hope that, even in these challenging economic times, that our elected lawmakers will do what is necessary to protect our local health care system and preserve access to health care for every resident of Smyrna.”