Additionally, in 2012, hospitals in Georgia employed more than 126,000 full- and part-time workers and indirectly created more than 287,000 full-time positions, according to the report. “This study demonstrates that Georgia hospitals do much more than provide life-saving healthcare services: They are a major part of the economic vitality of the communities they serve throughout the state,” said GHA CEO and President Earl Rogers.
Still, the state’s hospitals are struggling financially because of factors such as rising uncompensated care and cuts to Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. Georgia hospitals provided more than $1.6 billion in unpaid care in 2012, up from approximately $60 million in 2011. Four Georgia hospitals have closed since the start of 2013, and a fifth recently announced plans to shut its doors, according to the report. Furthermore, in 2012, 42 percent of hospitals in the states had negative margins, according to the report.
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