Physician Hospitals of America: Idle Hospital Construction & Expansion Projects Could Provide 7000 Highly Skilled Healthcare Jobs
Language in Affordable Care Act Blocks Much-Needed Job Relief
(Washington, D.C., September 19, 2011) - On January 1, 2011, Section 6001 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) forced at least 30 new hospital projects to be abandoned and halted expansion projects for approximately 47 existing hospitals. Some of these projects are unrecoverable, but Physician Hospitals of America (PHA) has identified 7000 highly-skilled healthcare jobs that would quickly be created were physician owned hospital projects allowed to move forward.
“Not only would projects ready to go today provide thousands of healthcare jobs,” says Michael Russell, MD and PHA President, “they would immediately create tens of thousands of construction jobs and much needed jobs in the communities these hospitals serve. It is unthinkable that in this struggling economy, the government would pass on the opportunity to create this many jobs.”
Hospitals, not only supply jobs for local communities, they provide business. The hospital itself may utilize local catering, IT, and landscaping, and its employees spend much of their paychecks locally. The Department of Commerce estimates each hospital job supports about 1.6 additional jobs. That means an additional 11,200 jobs could be created if Section 6001 were reversed. Utilizing data from existing physician owned hospitals, PHA estimates Section 6001 has cost communities more than a billion dollars in local economic activity.
For more information on these projects, including a state by state breakdown of economic impact, please contact PHA.
About Physician Hospitals of America
PHA offers support, advocacy and educational services to the physician‐owned hospital industry, reflecting at all times the best interests of patients, physicians and other providers who play an inextricable and essential role in the provision of healthcare services. There are currently 275 physician‐ owned hospitals serving patients in 33 states. These hospital s include general acute care, long term acute care, emergency medicine, multi‐specialty, women’s, children’s, rehabilitation and psychiatric. According to its HCAHPS survey data, physician‐owned hospitals rank first for patient satisfaction in 20 states. For more information visit: www.phapulse.org.
Media Contact:
Michelle McRae
CCO Healthcare Partners
312.961.4745
mrm@ccopartners.com
Michelle McRae
CCO Healthcare Partners
312.961.4745
mrm@ccopartners.com
About Physician Hospitals of America
PHA offers support, advocacy and educational services to the physician owned hospital industry, reflecting at all times the best interests of patients, physicians and other providers who play an inextricable and essential role in the provision of healthcare services. There are currently 275 physician owned hospitals serving patients in 33 states. These hospitals include general acute care, long term acute care, emergency medicine, multi-specialty, women’s, children’s, rehabilitation and psychiatric. According to its HCAHPS survey data, physician owned hospitals rank first for patient satisfaction in 20 states. For more information visit: www.phapulse.org.
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