Hoping to stave off any further state budget cuts, the Connecticut Hospital Association released a report Thursday that says Connecticut’s hospitals contribute $20 billion to the state’s economy.
“Connecticut hospitals are a critical economic engine,” Jennifer Jackson, president and CEO, of the Connecticut Hospital Association, said Thursday. “They are often a community’s largest employer, stimulating jobs and attracting other businesses.”
According to the CHA report, Connecticut hospitals provide more than 54,000 jobs, with a total annual payroll of $5.2 billion. Earnings by Connecticut hospital and health system employees reverberate through the community, creating an additional 55,000 jobs in the local economy.
“Cuts like the $103 million reduced from hospital budgets in December damage not only patients and employees, but also every community in the state,” Jackson said. “At a time when the state has never relied more on its hospitals for the safety net they provide, it is critical — both to our quality of life and economic health — that these institutions remain strong and stable.”
Office of Policy and Management Secretary Ben Barnes declined comment to comment on whether the cuts in the December deficit mitigation plan would be carried forward in the budget Gov. Dannel P. Malloy will release on Feb. 6.
“That would be a specific question about what’s going to be in the budget on February 6th and I’m not prepared to answer that,” Barnes said Thursday after leaving a Capitol budget forum.