The economic impact of hospitals

A report released this week by the American Hospital Association (AHA) finds that hospitals supported nearly $2.6 trillion in activity to the U.S. economy in 2013. Hospitals are the second largest source of private sector jobs, employing nearly 5.6 million people in either full-time or part-time positions. 
 
The AHA report also found that hospitals spent more than $782 billion on goods and services from other businesses, which created additional economic activity. It estimates that every dollar spent by a hospital supported an additional $2.30 of business activity.