PROVIDENCE – Office-based physicians in Rhode Island generated $4 billion in sales revenue in 2009, $2.9 billion in total wages and benefits, and supported the creation of 15,322 jobs, according to a study by the Rhode Island Medical Society.
There are 2,672 office-based physicians in Rhode Island, representing a major segment of small businesses in the state and employing, on average, about five people, the study said.
While the Hospital Association of Rhode Island regularly catalogs the economic impact of hospitals in Rhode Island, this is the first study that documents the economic clout of doctors in Rhode Island outside the hospital system, said Steven R. Detoy, director of government and public affairs at the Rhode Island Medical Society.
The study, which includes a comparison to other industry sectors in Rhode Island, found that in terms of output in 2009, office-based physicians, at $4 billion, surpassed nursing homes ($1.5 billion), legal ($1.56 billion), colleges and universities ($2.25 billion), home health ($480 million) but came in lower than hospitals ($5.2 billion).
The study shows that by attracting and keeping physicians in the state, the people in Rhode Island have better access to health care and a stronger state economy, said Dr. Gary Bubly, president of the Rhode Island Medical Society.
The study was conducted by SNR Denton and the Lewin Group Inc, and was sponsored by the American Medical Association.
