MHP creates more than $31 million Impact on Local Economy

Mahaska Health Partnership

Mahaska Health Partnership

DES MOINES – Mahaska Health Partnership in Oskaloosa generates 490 jobs that add $31,177,520 to Mahaska County’s economy, according to the latest study by the Iowa Hospital Association. In addition, MHP employees by themselves spend $6,486,776 on retail sales and contribute $389,207 in state sales tax revenue.

“Mahaska Health Partnership has been meeting the community’s healthcare needs for more than 100 years, and being an active participant in community affairs has always been at the forefront of being a good corporate citizen,” MHP CEO Jay Christensen said. “In addition to improving the health of our community, MHP also stimulates the local economy by providing secure, meaningful work to almost 500 people, and that continues to grow!”

Christensen said the majority of MHP’s staff has deep connections to families and friends in the county, which makes the relationship between the health system and community even tighter. “As an organization, we try our utmost to support the community that supports us by shopping local whenever possible. That philosophy of business leverages those economic factors even further. It is part of our role in a strong community,” Christensen explained.

According to MHP Board of Trustee Member and Past President Paul Swenson, the hospital remains vital to Mahaska County’s future economic success. “As a Board, we understand that having a strong healthcare system plays a key role in the decisions of businesses and individuals looking to expand or relocate to our community,” Swenson said.

“As the largest employer in the county, our economic impact in the region guides us in the decisions we make to be good stewards of MHP’s resources while offering the services and equipment needed to meet the community’s healthcare needs locally.”

The IHA study examined the jobs, income, retail sales and sales tax produced by hospitals and the rest of the state’s healthcare sector. The study was compiled from hospital-submitted data on the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey of Hospitals and with software that other industries have used to determine their economic impact.

The study found that Iowa hospitals directly employ 71,324 people and create another 50,131 jobs outside the hospital sector. As an income source, hospitals provide $4.2 billion in salaries and benefits and generate another $1.8 billion through other jobs that depend on hospitals.

“Hospitals positively influence their local economies not only with how many people they employ and the salaries of those employees, but also through hospital purchases from local businesses as well as the impact of employee spending and tax support,” Kirk Norris, IHA president/CEO said. “Whether at the local level or statewide, there are few Iowa employers that generate economic activity comparable to hospitals.”

The Iowa Hospital Association is a voluntary membership organization representing hospital and health system interests to business, government and consumer audiences. All of Iowa’s 118 community hospitals are IHA members.

Posted by on Mar 28 2015. Filed under Local News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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