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National Hospital Week (May 8 – 14) marks a time to recognize Indiana hospitals for what they are – cornerstones of our communities. They provide vital health care services and are a place of refuge and healing during times of disaster and distress. However, we should also not forget how essential hospitals are to the social fabric of our state and the role they play in our economy.

There are many statistics that demonstrate the contributions hospitals make in improving the health of our patients. In 2014, there were more than 2.7 million emergency room visits in Indiana, and more than 78,000 new Hoosiers were born in our state’s delivery rooms. But it should also be noted that hospitals employ 127,000 individuals and support an additional 262,000 jobs elsewhere in the Indiana economy with their spending on goods and services through "ripple effects." In 2014, hospitals generated a statewide economic impact of $39 billion.

Despite this powerful economic impact, many Indiana hospitals serving rural and economically-challenged communities struggle to maintain critical services. Nationally, nearly one-third of all rural hospitals are in danger of closing according to the National Rural Health Association. We have witnessed a wave of facilities forced to shut their doors in states such as Georgia, Tennessee and Kansas.

It should be everyone’s priority to ensure this doesn’t happen in Indiana. Thankfully, Governor Pence’s Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP 2.0) was launched in 2015 and has played a major role in strengthening the health care safety net and stabilizing the financial future for hospitals across the state. This ensures that some of our most vulnerable communities will not only still have timely access to care, but will retain major employers in the well-paying medical field. After all, many economic development prospects would be lost to other states if the availability of high-quality health care locally was threatened.

Ultimately, National Hospital Week is a celebration of the people who ensure the well-being of our communities through their dedicated care. To the physicians, nurses, therapists, engineers, food service workers, volunteers, administrators and so many more, we thank them and honor the important role they play in serving our patients and our communities.