A recent report from the Georgia Hospital Association showed Northeast Georgia Medical Center as having a more-than $4 billion impact on the state and local economy.
The report, which looked at figures from 2021, found that the hospital had $1.8 billion in direct expenditures that year. However, a multiplier used by the U.S. Department of Commerce that factors in the ripple effects of those expenditures showed the economic impact to be just over $4.2 billion.
Northeast Georgia Medical Center has campuses in Gainesville, Braselton, Winder and Dahlonega. Habersham Medical Center will soon become part of NGMC, but was not factored into the recent report.
President and CEO of Northeast Georgia Health System Carol Burrell said the numbers were encouraging, especially coming one year after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“NGHS remained focused on our mission of improving the health of our community in all we do,” Burrell said. “We recognized the need to keep our expansion projects – like the new campus in Lumpkin County, new medical office buildings, the new tower in Gainesville and the acquisition of Habersham Medical Center – on track to support the healthcare needs of communities across northeast Georgia. It’s a pleasant surprise to look up from all that work and see how that focus creates ripples, strengthening our local economy.”
The report showed that NGHS directly employed more than 9,000 people and provided more than $70 million in total estimated charity care. The report also said the numbers only reflect the economic impact of hospital expenditures and do not factor in other services provided by the health system.
