Clarion Hospital Generates $52,258,098 Economic Benefit to Clarion Region Statewide, hospitals fuel $155 billion in economic activity, support one in nine jobs

Clarion, PA – Clarion Hospital contributed $52,258,098 to the region’s economy and supported 369 local jobs during the 2020 fiscal year, according to a new report released by The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP).

Statewide, Pennsylvania hospitals fueled $155 billion in economic activity, about 20 percent of the commonwealth’s total gross domestic product. The hospital community also supported more than 615,000 jobs, one in nine statewide, and generated more than $38 billion in wages, salaries, and benefits. In addition, the state’s hospitals attracted highly competitive federal research dollars to the Keystone State, played a crucial role in training tomorrow’s healers, and provided extensive charity and unreimbursed care to their communities.

Clarion Hospital is but one component of Butler Health System, said Ken DeFurio, BHS President & CEO. “The overall benefit of BHS approaches half a billion dollars every year. You can see what a major economic driver Clarion Hospital is for our community. When people in the community support Clarion Hospital and BHS, they support the livelihoods of family, friends and neighbors, and the economic health of our entire region.”

HAP’s report also highlighted the intensified financial strain hospitals are facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and called for additional investments and public policy measures to ensure that hospitals can continue to provide the highest level of care and serve as economic engines for the state and their communities.

“The past year reinforced that hospitals are vital to all Pennsylvanians,” said Andy Carter, HAP president and CEO. “In addition to providing excellent care to all who need it—regardless of health condition or ability to pay—Pennsylvania hospitals are the bedrock of their communities’ and our state’s economies. The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the financial strain on hospitals and it’s not over yet. It’s critical that Pennsylvania hospitals have the financial resources and regulatory flexibility they need to continue to serve their communities.” See the full report—including a searchable data visualization, research brief, and region-specific data—at HAP’s website.

About Butler Health System Located in the rolling hills of Western, PA, Butler Health System (BHS) has remained an independent community health system for over a century and continues to grow to meet the needs of an 8-county region. BHS employs over 3,000 employees and over 270 providers, making it the largest employer in Butler County and the largest healthcare employer in Clarion County.

Butler Health System consists of two hospitals, Butler Memorial Hospital (Butler, PA) and ClarionHospital (Clarion, PA), 72 outpatient locations throughout Butler, Clarion, Allegheny, Armstrong, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer and Venango counties. BHS offers patient’s access to nationally recognized quality care in cardiology, palliative care, and maternity as well a broad range of surgical, medical, emergency, and psychiatric services. In addition to its primary health services, Butler Health System has many partnerships throughout Western Pennsylvania that include Bridges Health Partners, Benbrook Ambulatory Surgery Center, UPMC Cancer Center, BHS FasterCare, Concordia Visiting Nurses and Good Samaritan Hospice, and LIFE Butler County with Lutheran Senior Life.

Butler Health System provides excellent healthcare to the communities that we serve. Our facilities have more than just state-of-the-art technology—we have a team of compassionate and knowledgeable health care professionals. We focus our efforts on making quality care available at an affordable price for our local communities across the region. Our goal is to ensure each patient has the best experience and treatment possible paired with optimal clinical results.