It Means Jobs

Posted by on March 11, 2011

Recently, I had the pleasure of emceeing a panel presentation called “Rx for a Healthy Bottom Line” at the Holiday Inn in Marquette. The audience heard from experts at Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Michigan, Dickinson County Healthcare System and the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. While it is certainly important that access, quality and patient safety are huge factors in healthcare, as an economic developer I realize that it also means jobs and investment.
Hopefully, we all understand and appreciate the significant economic impact that healthcare has on the Upper Peninsula. It supports 15,166 jobs of which 4,961 are in Marquette County. In Marquette County alone, the total annual wages and salaries for direct healthcare jobs is $276,047,336; which is nothing to sneeze at (pardon the pun)!
But here is what catches my eye: over $80 million healthcare dollars leave the Upper Peninsula every year. $80,000,000!! Imagine if we were to capture even half of that. That would mean an excess of 400 new jobs in the healthcare field. Are you or anyone you know employed in the healthcare field, about to graduate or looking to move back to the U.P. as a healthcare professional? I’m willing to bet that 400 new jobs sounds pretty good.
In particular, the Upper Peninsula loses healthcare to our neighbor, Wisconsin. However, panelists provided data to show that the U.P. has high quality healthcare, hospital readmission rates in Wisconsin are nearly 3% higher than the U.P., and the average payment per out-of-state admission was nearly three times higher compared to the U.P. Let’s think about what that does to our insurance rates that are paid by both employers and employees, depending on your situation.
After mulling this all over, you probably have the same question that I do. “What can we do to decrease healthcare costs and keep jobs in the Upper Peninsula?” Here are some action steps we can all participate in:
  • Utilize Michigan healthcare providers when possible – an online browse will show available services, accreditations, and credentials of staff
  • See your Michigan primary care doctor – having a local physician who knows your health history can be your partner in healthcare decisions for you and your family
  • Stay up to date on your annual physical and associated tests – early detection and prevention drive costs down
  • Take advantage of the wellness resources around you to promote a healthy, active lifestyle
  • If referred to a physician/specialist outside of Michigan, ask if there is one in-state first
  • Create a wellness committee in your office to promote a healthy lifestyle
  • Annually review your health insurance plans and understand the impact of out of state providers
  • Talk to others about the importance of keeping healthcare local
  • Employers or HR departments can share this message with employees.
So, we continue to remind you to buy local, fly from nearby and now want to add to the list “Stay UP for health”. For more information on this subject contact Jan Hillman at jan.hillman@mghs.org.

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