VIRGINIA — Essentia Health is highlighting a new third-party report that shows the system’s economic impact throughout Northern Minnesota.
The study from economic development firm Northspan measures the jobs and economic output from the organization in the Brainerd lakes area and on the Iron Range.
Essentia is the biggest employer in Crow Wing and Cass counties, with 967 staff between St. Joseph's Medical Center and its outlying clinics. The organization's work indirectly creates another 1,119 jobs.
Essentia directly employs 849 in the greater Iron Range region, including at the Virginia, Aurora and Deer River hospitals and the Babbitt, Ely, Hibbing, Grand Rapids and International Falls clinics.
The organization indirectly creates another 850 jobs in construction, medical equipment and supply chain and logistics. It's one of the largest employers in the region outside of the mines.
"We are proud to deliver exceptional, nationally recognized care to tens of thousands of patients in the Brainerd Lakes area every year," said Todd Defreece, senior vice president of operations at Essentia, in a news release.
"This report shows that our team’s work also has a major impact on community health and economic stability in the region.”
The study calculated Essentia’s economic impact by looking at the organization's revenue, employee salaries, Essentia’s spending and the goods and services purchased by Essentia employees.
That amounted to $734 million in the Brainerd area and $583 million on the Range and beyond.
“When people think about the Brainerd Lakes Area, tourism usually comes to mind. What many people don’t realize is that health care is one of our biggest economic drivers and a major reason people choose to live in the area,” said Matt Kilian, Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce president, in the release.
“Access to high quality health care is foundational to our communities and crucial to the future of the Iron Range,” said Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Commissioner Ida Rukavina, in the release.
“This report shows that Essentia does more than just care for Iron Rangers: they play an important economic role in our communities by supporting good-paying jobs in and outside of their hospitals and clinics. As rural health care continues navigating new challenges, we must stand together with the organizations that support the health and economic strength of communities across the region.”
