Iowa’s 118 hospitals add nearly $6.8 billion to the state’s economy, according to a new report from the Iowa Hospital Association (IHA). Scott McIntyre is spokesperson for the IHA. “Iowa hospitals also have 72,000 employees. That’s a little higher than it’s been in recent years,” McIntyre says. “We’re seeing a good recovery from the recession and we’re seeing a little bit of growth as well.”
Those employees, by themselves, spend more than $1.8 billion on retail sales and contribute more than $111 million in state sales tax revenue, according to the report. The economic impact report is compiled each year to demonstrate the importance of the industry to the state.
“A lot of what the state does, what the federal government does, has a big impact on our hospitals — the regulations, legislation can serious impact our hospitals. So, we want folks to realize that you’re talking about an asset with some 72,000 employees and billions of dollars of economic impact,” McIntyre says.
The study shows Iowa’s hospitals provide $4.5 billion in salaries and benefits and generate another $2.3 billion through other jobs that depend on hospitals.