A new report released by the Oklahoma Hospital Association found state hospitals had an estimated $30.5 billion economic impact in 2021 amid an increase in care during the pandemic.
Oklahoma had 148 hospitals with a total of 13,088 beds. Those facilities broke down into 107 general medical and surgical hospitals — which range from urban hospitals to smaller community hospitals — and 41 specialty hospitals, which focus on things like orthopedics and psychiatry.
Oklahoma hospitals reported $15.3 billion in revenue, an 11% increase from the last survey. The report attributes this to increases in care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation.
The largest part of that revenue came from private insurance companies. Medicare was the second largest source and Medicaid was the third.
In 2021, the state’s hospitals supported 186,000 jobs directly and indirectly. The state’s 78,361 direct wage and salary workers had an average annual wage of $68,922, which is 28% higher than the state average.
The state’s general medical and surgical hospitals are spread across 72 of the state’s 77 counties. The report said policymakers should address gaps in rural counties, which particularly lack specialty hospitals.
Hospitals managed 431,557 admissions during 2021, rounding out to 1,182 per day.
Rich Rasmussen, the Oklahoma Hospital Association’s CEO, said in a press release hospitals are important for the state’s health and economy.
“Hospitals serve as economic anchors in cities and towns in every region of the state. They provide well-paying jobs to working families, vital community benefits and partnerships, and economic stability,” Rasmussen said. “It is clear that Oklahoma hospitals are critical to the future economic growth in the state, and in most communities, they are the largest employer.”
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