Piedmont Mountainside Hospital Generates Millions for North Georgia’s Economy

JASPER, Ga. (April 13, 2009) – In these hard economic times, it’s always nice to get some good news - Piedmont Mountainside Hospital,  a 42-bed community hospital in Jasper, Ga., generated millions in revenue for the local economy according to a recent report released by the Georgia Hospital Association, the state’s largest hospital trade association. The report also found that, during the same time period, Piedmont Mountainside Hospital provided $3.2 million in uncompensated care while sustaining more than 360 full and part-time jobs throughout Pickens County and the surrounding area.

Piedmont Mountainside Hospital is a member of Piedmont Healthcare, a not-for-profit organization that also includes Piedmont Hospital, Piedmont Fayette Hospital and Piedmont Newnan Hospital. According to the same report, Piedmont Healthcare generated more than $1.7 billion in revenue for the metro Atlanta economy in addition to providing approximately $34 million in uncompensated care while sustaining more than 6,300 full and part-time jobs throughout metro Atlanta and the rest of the state.

“This new report shows that, even in these difficult economic times, Piedmont Mountainside Hospital has an enormous positive impact on our local economy,” said Sheryl Klink, Chief Financial Officer, Piedmont Mountainside Hospital.  “We thank the Jasper community’s unwavering support of their local hospital and will continue to work hard to ensure that the citizens of this community have access to healthcare services that are second to none in quality and affordability.”

 While Piedmont Mountainside Hospital remains a major component of the area’s economic engine, the hospital’s leadership, like the rest of the Georgia hospital community, is concerned about a wide array of economic challenges that have made it increasingly difficult to meet the community’s healthcare needs.  These challenges include continued cuts in Medicare and Medicaid payments and a fast-growing uninsured and underinsured population.  Presently, more than a third of all hospitals in Georgia are operating with negative margins. 

“We’re extremely concerned with the current operating environment for hospitals,” said Klink.  “We’ve made a commitment to every citizen of this community to be on call for them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  But our ability to do so could be compromised when the state is paying us far less than what it actually costs to treat patients in government-sponsored plans.”

According to Klink, state lawmakers must work to protect the state’s healthcare system with the same fervor that they do other initiatives like education and public utilities. 

“Our local healthcare system is indispensable,” said Klink.  “It is a key building block for our local economy and desired lifestyle.  It is our hope that, even in these challenging economic times, our elected officials will do what is necessary to protect our local healthcare system and preserve access to care for every resident of the communities we serve.”

For more information, please visit www.piedmontmountainsidehospital.org.