Letter to the editor

The meaning and purpose of Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association expands beyond the medical care provided to our community and the people passing through our community. The economic impact of DMHA is also extremely important. The direct effect of DMHA’s impact on our local economy includes a payroll last year of $1.76 million dollars and provided 39 full time equivalent jobs. Indirectly, DMHA also produces an additional 14 non-hospital jobs.

Individuals employed at Dahl Memorial Healthcare spend a portion of their salary on goods and services produced in Carter County, thus supporting jobs and income in those local businesses. Likewise, the hospital itself may purchase goods and services from local suppliers. These businesses and employees then spend a portion of their income on local goods and services, which in turn supports other local jobs and companies. Thus, the effect of one dollar of wages is multiplied as it circulates through the community.

Another economic advantage is the amount of new money brought to the community from third party payers such as insurance companies as well as Medicare and Medicaid. This is a benefit to the additional dollars already in our community being recycled.

Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association has been and will continue to be a vital part of our county either through healing our family and friends or fulfilling our economic roll of providing jobs as well as helping retain businesses within our county. DMHA is grateful to be part of this community.

Ballots will be mailed on May 8, 2020. I am asking for your support of the Hospital Mill Levy. It is more then a healthcare benefit, it is also an economic benefit to our community.

As always, please call if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Ryan Tooke, CEO

Dahl Memorial Healthcare Association