CHW's Official Response to President Obama's Jobs Speech

Statement attributable to Lloyd H. Dean, President/CEO, Catholic Healthcare West

"Catholic Healthcare West (CHW) is the fifth largest health system in the nation, employing approximately 55,000 people across California, Arizona, and Nevada. Throughout the economic downturn, we have continued to hire workers at all levels of our organization. At present, we have more than 2,000 job openings. Indeed, the health care industry has been the single most stable industry with respect to jobs during this difficult economic environment. We fully support bringing more people into the workforce and applaud the President's efforts to encourage job growth. In addition to the improvements in the economy, employment also gives people access to health insurance coverage.

We are concerned, however, that the Jobs Bill may be paid for by further cuts to federal health insurance programs. Approximately 65 percent of the people we care for are insured through Medicare or Medicaid, and any further cuts in reimbursements from those programs will severely impact our ability to hire and retain workers. We are hopeful that the President and Congress will be able to find the right balance such that an increase in employment does not come at the expense of health care."

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