James_September-October_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 43
hen StewartWebster Hospital in Richland
closed, the community lost not
only access to
emergency care, but also its largest
employer. That was one of nine
rural hospitals to close since 2010.
The then-mayor of Richland
said the hospital closure led to the
loss of three restaurants and a grocery store and told Georgia Health
News it also hurt economic development because companies were
unlikely to invest in a community
that lost its hospital. Other communities have seen their local pharmacy or local community bank close
in the wake of losing their hospital.
The other side of the coin is
that having a hospital can set a
community apart in competing for
new jobs.
by MONTY VEAZEY
“Hospitals drive economic
development in Georgia,” said Paul
P. Hinchey, President and CEO of
St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System in Savannah. Hinchey served
as chair of the Savannah Economic
Development Authority, which
worked with Gov. Brian Kemp and
his economic development team
to bring the Hyundai metaplant to
Bryan County.
While our primary mission is always to provide high quality healthcare to our patients, we have a
secondary role as an economic institution— often the largest employers
in our communities, and a resource
for improving our community.
“These companies hire site consultants to do their due diligence.
There’s a section that focuses on
healthcare— making sure when
they bring in thousands of people
that you’ve got access to high quality healthcare. So, hospitals are in
the front seat of economic development in Georgia and are really
copilots to the economic engine
that’s in this state,” said Hinchey.
Joe Ierardi, President & CEO of
Wayne Memorial Hospital in Jesup,
who also serves on the Wayne
County Industrial Development
Authority Board, told the Coastal
Courier, “Our mission is to not only
to provide quality health care,
but also to serve as an economic
catalyst for the area. Preserving
access to health care is extremely
important and we are the primary
guardian of health in our community. A healthy community depends
on the strength of its hospital, both
financially and in treating patients.”
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