Houston Medical Center, Perry Hospital Generate $334 Million to Houston County's Economy

According to a recent report by the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA), Houston Healthcare generated more than $334 million in revenue during 2005 for the local economy. The report also indicated that, during the same time period, Houston Healthcare provided approximately $7.8 million in uncompensated care while sustaining 2,890 full-time jobs throughout Houston County and the middle Georgia area.

The report noted that Houston Healthcare had direct expenditures of more than $135.8 million in 2005. When combined with an economic multiplier developed by the United States Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, the total economic impact of those expenditures was more than $334 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. Economic multipliers are used to model the resulting impact of a change in one industry on the “circular flow” of spending within an economy as a whole.

“This new report shows that Houston Healthcare has an enormous positive impact on our local economy which makes us very proud,” said Dr. Tony Alford, CEO of Houston Healthcare. “We appreciate our community’s support through the years, and we will continue to work hard to ensure that the citizens of our community have access to quality healthcare services.”