(Spirit Lake)– A recent report from the Iowa Hospital Association details the economic impact healthcare facilities have on the communities they serve. Among other findings, it shows Lakes Regional Healthcare provided nearly 3 million dollars in community benefits in 2025. LRH President and CEO Jason Harrington says that number is very significant…
“Community benefit is really a combination of charity care and uncompensated care. We’re a community hospital so we take care of everybody who shows up at our doors and we’re proud of the ability to do that. We also do a lot of partnering with other nonprofits. I think that’s the beauty of the community and the beauty of community hospitals is we look for those opportunities and so we make investments in those things like healthcare career education and workforce development and those kinds of things. Our partnerships are important, and we partner with other community hospitals surrounding us and so we’re super proud of that.”
Harrington says there are some other very important findings in the report that are easy to take for granted, but definitely shouldn’t be…
“You know it’s really interesting always to me that we employ approximately 400 people. Our payroll, our salary and benefits, is about 10 percent of the salary and benefits of the entire county. I never want that to be lost in the importance of the economic impact that the organization has, in addition to the fact of why we’re here as a community healthcare organization and providing healthcare to people in the Iowa Great Lakes.”
Harrington adds being a strong community partner doesn’t always show up on a balance sheet…
“We just celebrated 67 years of providing healthcare to the people of the Iowa Great Lakes Region and we don’t take that honor or responsibility lightly. We’re greatly appreciative for people that see Lakes Regional Healthcare as their healthcare provider of choice. We look forward to being here another 67 years.”
The report also found Lakes Regional Healthcare accounted for nearly 11 percent of Dickinson County’s gross domestic product in 2025.
