Emory Report
December 15, 2008
Volume 61, Number 15


 

   

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December 15
, 2008
New publication highlights community impact

Fred Sanfilippo is executive vice president for health affairs, CEO of the Woodruff Health Sciences Center, and chairman of Emory Healthcare.

“Ready to Help” is the title of the 2008 Woodruff Health Sciences Center Community Benefits Book. The report, now available online at http://whsc.emory.edu/home/about/index.html, showcases the touching stories of real people who have benefited from WHSC’s life-saving and life-affirming work.

Over the past year, WHSC has been ready to help by offering millions of dollars in compassionate, cutting-edge, and high-quality care to those who need it most — throughout the city, the state and the world. The more than $29 million in charity care that we have provided to the poor, the uninsured and underinsured, children and seniors, our heroic veterans, and many others in need has made a lasting and tangible difference in the lives of many thousands of people again this year.

Why do we do it? Because, quite simply, it’s the right thing to do. As health care providers, we feel not only a passion for providing care to all people — but also an obligation to do all that we can to serve the health needs of everyone who turns to us for help.

But the benefits of our efforts aren’t limited to the patients we serve; they also extend throughout our community in a host of positive and meaningful ways. For example, the Woodruff Health Sciences Center creates nearly 17,000 jobs in the metro Atlanta area, making Emory the largest private employer in Atlanta and the second largest in Georgia. The research dollars we generate extend far beyond the laboratory, as well. Every $1 million of research funding generates an average return of $2 million and 32 jobs in our state, meaning that WHSC’s $389 million in research funding generates more than $775 million in economic impact and nearly 12,500 jobs for Georgia. All told, our research, education, and health care missions have a $4.9 billion impact on the community — in addition to the immeasurable value of providing help and hope to people in need.

As we enter the holiday season, we at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center are grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in this way, and we’re grateful for the many friends and supporters who make our extraordinary community impact possible.

Many thanks to you, and best wishes to you and your loved ones for a happy holiday season and good health in the new year.