Rome Health economic impact nears $160 million

ROME, N.Y. — Rome Health — a nonprofit health-care system that includes a hospital, primary, and specialty care — contributes more than $158 million to the local economy, according to an economic-impact analysis.

Rome Health generates more than $16 million in tax dollars through its 1,000 employees and the businesses it supports, per the Healthcare Association of New York State, Inc. analysis.

“Jobs are the lifeblood of a community,” Dewey Rowlands, Rome Health VP and CFO, said in a news release. “Each paycheck impacts the economy, supporting businesses as dollars are spent on housing, groceries, and other goods and services.”

Construction projects at Rome Health are also adding to the local economy, Rowlands noted. Projects such as the medical center and the women’s surgical suite generate local jobs and revenue, as well as result in improved health-care delivery for the community.

Since most health care is funded through state and federal Medicaid/Medicare programs and private insurance, it often isn’t seen as benefiting the economy, Rowlands said. While some may view health care as a burden on the economy, every dollar spent on health care actually generates $1.60 in economic benefit for the community. 

“The return on investment is a better quality of life for the people who place their trust in our care and a significant positive economic impact on our community,” he said. “Hospitals are one of the few organizations that can have such a significant impact on a community’s vitality as both an economic powerhouse and a provider of critical services.

Rome Health provides services from emergency and intensive care to primary care, long-term care, and diagnostic testing and treatment. It is an affiliate of St. Joseph’s Health in Syracuse and an affiliated clinical site of New York Medical College, which is located in Westchester County.