Portage Health's contributions to the Keweenaw economy are detailed in a 2011 report just out, titled The Economic Impact of Health Care in Michigan.
The report is from the Partnership for Michigan's Health, and analyzes health care contributions to economies across the state and U.P.
In the U.P., health care accounts for 16,887 direct jobs, which are employees actually working in the health care industry. In Portage Health's four-county area (Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga, Ontonagon), 3,097 people work in health care, and 796 of those work for
Portage Health.
Since health care is a growing business and part of what's often called the new economy, President and CEO Jim Bogan of Portage Health says the hospital system is helping drive the region forward.
"As Michigan's leaders continue to look for ways to rally the state's economy, health care is an important part of the solution. Hospitals and health care providers produce jobs that result in billions of dollars in wages earned and taxes paid. The health care sector is, now more than ever, an economic engine for the state, individual regions and local communities," says Bogan.
The report is based on 2009 data, and also includes information on indirect and induced jobs, which are people who work in industries that service the health care industry, like transportation or laundry, and people whose jobs are supported by the local spending of health care employees, like retail and grocery businesses.
Health care is Michigan's largest private employer, and in the four-county area, totals 4,310 direct, indirect and induced jobs, and more than $181 million annually in wages, salaries and benefits. Direct health care workers and employers in the area pay more than $44 million yearly in state and federal taxes as well.
Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Jim Bogan, Portage Health
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