Hospital Provides Almost 900 Jobs, $321 Million Impact on Economy

HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital is a key contributor to the local and state economies, providing steady job growth while improving the health of the residents and communities it serves. According to a new report, HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital employs 668 full-time equivalent (FTE) health care professionals, resulting in 877 additional jobs for the community, and generates a total annual impact of $321,525,073 on the local and state economies.

The report, HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital: Our Impact on the Economy, was developed in conjunction with the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) and its statewide economic impact report, Illinois Hospitals and Health Systems $95.3 Billion State Economic Impact.

“We are proud to serve our community by both providing essential health care services and strengthening our local economy and the state economy,” said Theresa Rutherford, President and CEO of HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital. “By employing highly skilled health care professionals and spurring more economic activity through our spending on goods, services and capital improvements such as building our new Health Center in Effingham and our Emergency Department renovation project, St. Anthony’s has a critical role in the local and state economies.”

“To continue to retain and create jobs, attract businesses to our community, and provide access to high-quality health care services, Illinois hospitals must have the funding support they need to remain fiscally sound,” said Rutherford.

Among the report’s key findings:

• HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital employs 668 FTE health care professionals, expending $64,254,303 a year on payroll, creating an additional 877 jobs for the local economy and generating approximately $153,818,376 in economic activity in the community.

• HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital spends $58,516,208 on goods and services, resulting in $140,081,950 in economic activity in the local and state economies.

• HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital invests $11,539,641 in capital improvements to enhance and update facilities and major medical equipment, generating $27,624,747 in economic activity for the local and state economies.

• HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital has a total annual economic impact of $321,525,073.

HSHS St. Anthony’s is taking steps to boost the local economy and advance health care services offered to the residents of this region. For example, this past year, St. Anthony’s opened a new Health Center in Altamont within the new Oplika Family Wellness Center. It allows St. Anthony’s to offer a variety of services to the community, like lab and imaging testing, therapy services, and nutritional counseling, as well as add new services, such as the HMR® Weight Management Program.

In addition, the report identifies the economic impacts of Illinois hospitals statewide:

• Illinois hospitals and health systems have a total impact of $95.3 billion annually on the state’s economy.
  • Health care employment has grown by 30 percent between 2000 and 2017 while overall Illinois employment has remained relatively flat.
• For every hospital job in Illinois, 1.3 jobs are created in other sectors.
• For every dollar hospitals and health systems spend, an additional $1.40 is generated in state and local economies.

Besides the positive impact St. Anthony’s has on the local economies, the hospital provides enormous benefits to the community which increases access to care for the underserved, enhances health and wellness in the community, and advances medical education and knowledge.

During the last fiscal year (July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017), St. Anthony’s provided over $8 million in Community Support through benefits to those who are uninsured/underinsured and for community health services. Included in this amount was $2 million provided for Charity Care at cost and $4.5 million for unreimbursed care provided under the Medicaid program and other public programs.

The remaining amount of Community Benefit funds were invested in areas such as research, education for health professionals, and other community health services. These include services such as supporting the Crisis Nursery of Effingham County; partnering with Catholic Charities for the Dental Voucher Program and Prescription Assistance; holding various community programs such as Safe Sitter, CPR, Diabetes Support Group, and Prenatal and Smoking Cessation Classes; and screenings for blood pressure, colorectal cancer, and within schools, along with many other programs. To check out an example of how St. Anthony’s has supported the local community by providing vision and hearing screenings, check out https://www.team-iha.org/finance/community-benefits/hospital-stories, under “Services.”

“Illinois hospitals and health systems serve their communities in so many ways. They provide needed health care around the clock, they strengthen local economies and employ local residents, and they lead and fund initiatives to improve individual and population health,” said IHA President and CEO A.J. Wilhelmi. “Their role is vital and truly irreplaceable in communities across the state.”

“Illinois hospitals and health systems count on the support of elected officials at the state and federal levels. Illinois residents deserve to have quality healthcare and to live in economically thriving communities. For hospitals to continue to achieve these goals, they cannot sustain further cuts at the state and federal levels,” Wilhelmi added. 

IHA’s statewide report, “Illinois Hospitals and Health Systems $95.3 billion State Economic Impact” is available on IHA’s Web site, team-iha.org. For more information about HSHS St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital, download the HSHS Southern Illinois Division Annual Report/Community Benefit Report by visiting the hospital’s Web site at stanthonyshospital.org and clicking on “Publications and Forms” at the bottom of the home page.