According to a new report from the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP), Mount Nittany Medical Center provides nearly $210 million in economic benefits to the region’s economy. The analysis highlights the critical role hospitals play in both the health and economies of their communities.
“Mount Nittany Medical Center does more than treat illnesses and injuries,” said Kurt Kissinger, Chief Strategy and System Development Officer. “Whether we are investing in staff, building infrastructure or purchasing supplies, we are helping strengthen the Centre region’s economic development and growth. The report from HAP highlights the importance of our mission of ‘Healthier people, stronger community.'”
The report shows the positive economic ripple effect hospitals can have on the local and commonwealth economies. According to the analysis, Mount Nittany Medical Center’s total economic activity for FY 2022 is $361,251,010, with an economic ripple benefit of $209,995,512.
Notably, 58 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties have at least one hospital among their top 10 employers and in 21 of them, a hospital is the largest employer. In Centre County, Mount Nittany Health is the third largest employer after Penn State and the state government, respectively.
Additionally, the report showcased that hospital jobs pay, on average, about 10 percent higher than the statewide average wage for all sectors. In FY 2022, Pennsylvania hospitals invested $1.2 billion in educating and training the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Earlier this year, Mount Nittany Health announced a new educational partnership with the Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology (CPI) to provide tuition assistance to students enrolled full-time or part-time in the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and Certified Medical Assistants (CMA) programs. As part of the program, students will receive employment agreements to work at Mount Nittany Physician Group upon graduation, if they meet the eligibility requirements.
“The report highlights how vital hospitals are to local communities. We are grateful to be an employer of choice, with over 2,400 employees in 19 locations throughout the region,” said Kissinger.