Pella Regional Health Center generates 690 hospital jobs filled by more than 850 individuals that add $44 million to Marion County’s local economy, according to the latest study by the Iowa Hospital Association. In addition, Pella Regional’s employees contribute more than $13.6 million in retail sales and more than $820,000 in sales tax. The study examined the jobs, income, retail sales and sales tax produced by hospitals and the rest of the state’s health care 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 economic impact of our health center is vital to the communities we serve,” said Bob Kroese, CEO Pella Regional Health Center. “We are more than what happens within the walls of our hospital or medical clinics – we are the people who work here, all impacting the communities we live and work in. Healthcare organizations help provide economic stability for the community through direct employment and the ‘ripple effects’ of purchasing goods and services from other businesses. This annual study demonstrates the impact we have on the economic health of the community, above and beyond the impact to the physical health of the patients and families we serve.”