U.S. community hospitals generated nearly $2.6 trillion for the country's economy in 2013, including 5.6 million jobs, according to report released Wednesday by the American Hospital Association.
Hospitals are the second largest source of private-sector jobs, and spend more than $782 billion on goods and services from other businesses, the analysis shows.
"While hospitals provide vital healthcare services to millions of people each year, these statistics show a hospital's importance to its community beyond healthcare," AHA Vice President of Trends Analysis Caroline Steinberg said in an AHASTAT blog post. "That's why talk of cuts to hospital services could not only impact patient care but the overall financial health of the entire community."
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