Did you know that the healthcare industry supports 1,326 jobs in Poweshiek County, Iowa? Overall, those positions contribute more than $57.6 million in payroll and income to the county and area economy, according to the latest study by the Iowa Hospital Association.
Grinnell Regional Medical Center generates 410 jobs that add $32.5 million to the local economy. In addition, GRMC employees by themselves spend $6.67 million on retail sales and contribute $400,360 in state sales tax revenue. Long term and residential care facilities employ 495 individuals. Physicians, dentists, pharmacists, and other health practitioners and their offices support 341 jobs. Add to that another 600 jobs that are indrectly related to healthcare and that makes a significant impact. In total, the healthcare industry spends $57,604,960 in payroll income that generates an economic impact of $77,881,091 in our area.
So why is this important? The contributions by long term care facilities, physicians, dentists, optometrists, pharmacists, and other medical services make a significant impact on the local economy, This includes the number of people they employ, their purchases with local businesses, and employees' spending. It all affects schools, housing, service and retail businesses as well.
But there is more to this story. The healthcare sector provides vital community services for the health and wellbeing of all its residents. Whether the service needed is provided through emergency medical technicians and an ambulance, a routine dental exam, or using a local pharmacy for medications, healthcare plays an important part in all our lives.
Our area has a strong healthcare industry that supports current healthcare needs. It also contributes to the quality of life that makes our area more attractive to new families moving in, industries looking to expand, students attending our area colleges, or retirees wanting to settle in a community of care.
Even though GRMC has reduced payroll and the number of employees over the past two years, the healthcare industry in Poweshiek County has maintained its level of healthcare jobs and economic impact. Through these tough economic times, healthcare remains an important economic and quality-of-life factor in Poweshiek County and beyond.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Your Generosity Knocked Us Out!
One of the things I love best about my job as a hospital administrator is when I get to brag about the extraordinary level of philanthropic support our medical center has from the community. Grinnell Regional Medical Center is a community hospital and we are very proud of that distinction.
Give me a moment to brag, and you will see why...
This week, we had an open house reception for donors who donated toward the purchase of these anesthesia machines. I had a chance to visit with the representative of the company that sells this equipment. He made the trip from Minneapolis to be here for the open house. He was impressed and thrilled to be here.
He said what impressed him was that the people of the community raised the funds to make this happen. He also said that the size of the community surprised him. He shared that on his first trip to Grinnell, he expected the community to be much larger because of the hospital and the number of procedures (about 3,685 annually) that our surgery department performs, the reputation of Grinnell College, and the diverse industries located here. He talked about driving around town and being surprised that Grinnell wasn't larger than it really is because it certainly acts like a larger community.
Alex Anderson, one of our anesthesia providers, said it best, "Your generosity knocked us out." I couldn't agree more.
Give me a moment to brag, and you will see why...
- GRMC just completed the most successful annual fund drive in its history raising $378,166. (GRMC serves a six-county rural area of east central Iowa that includes about 19,000 households.)
- A goal was set to raise funds to purchase new anesthesia machines for the surgery department at a cost of $35,000 each. We actually planned to replace them over the next four years as funds were available. Our donors rallied around this campaign and $140,000 was raised to replace all of them now.
- Total giving to all campaigns, the annual fund, special events, grants, and memorial gifts was $731,599 in 2011.
This week, we had an open house reception for donors who donated toward the purchase of these anesthesia machines. I had a chance to visit with the representative of the company that sells this equipment. He made the trip from Minneapolis to be here for the open house. He was impressed and thrilled to be here.
He said what impressed him was that the people of the community raised the funds to make this happen. He also said that the size of the community surprised him. He shared that on his first trip to Grinnell, he expected the community to be much larger because of the hospital and the number of procedures (about 3,685 annually) that our surgery department performs, the reputation of Grinnell College, and the diverse industries located here. He talked about driving around town and being surprised that Grinnell wasn't larger than it really is because it certainly acts like a larger community.
Alex Anderson, one of our anesthesia providers, said it best, "Your generosity knocked us out." I couldn't agree more.
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