On the recordOctober 4, 2011
I would like to welcome members of the Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania to Washington today. Hospitals are an essential piece of Pennsylvania's economy. Annually, the total economic benefit for our State is $2.7 billion a year. More than 16,000 Pennsylvanians are employed by hospitals, and they are paid an average salary of more than $52,000 a year. In my home district, Lancaster General Hospital is now the largest employer. Doctors, nurses, and other hospital workers are contributing to our economy and saving lives. They're working hard to come up with new ways to save lives, new methods to improve our health, and ways to reduce the cost of care. Working in a hospital is not easy. Doctors, nurses, and administrators help individuals and families who are hurting and who are struggling with illness and disease. And they work long hours performing difficult tasks. We thank our hospital professionals for their service; and as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, I will always listen to their voice as Congress works to improve our health care system. ____________________
