The role of community hospitals in the performance of local economies.

Many hospital administrators recognize an increasing need to educate the public on the important role their institutions play in the economic viability of the local community. Reasons include negative coverage by the press of increasing hospital costs, eroding philanthropy, managed care programs mandating out-of-area preferred providers, and declining city revenues, which have caused some municipalities to attempt to place not-for-profit health care facilities on the tax roles. This article reviews a technique that can be used by hospitals to build community support by demonstrating the favorable economic impact hospitals have on the communities they serve.