DEMOPOLIS-Bryan W. Whitfield Memorial Hospital CEO Mike Marshall came before the Demopolis City Council Monday night with good news about the operations of the hospital. Marshall said added programs have led to immense changes in the number of people who have put the hospitals facilities to use.

Marshall said they have dramatically increased the hospitals capabilities over the last couple of years.

Marshall went through the numbers regarding economic impact from the Alabama Hospitals Association. Marshall said the numbers have grown significantly.

“We have had an economic impact of $51 million this year,” Marshall said. “Last year it was $40 million.

Several new programs were added to the long list this year; Marshall said many computerized programs have been installed to make the hospital state of the art.

“So far this year we have spent $481,000 investing in out capital equipment and that is phase one of our bedside computer documentation,” Marshall said. “We have also completed the installation of our computerized pharmacy

dispensing system. We are also adding another ambulance to our EMS group.”

Aside from saving lives, one of the biggest impacts the hospital has had has come in the form of jobs.

Marshall said the hospital has had a positive impact by putting people to work in numbers.

“This year to date we have added 18 new jobs to the hospital,” Marshall said. “That is about $564,000 in salaries, wages sand benefits. By the end of this year we will probably have added 24 additional jobs for a total of 41 new jobs and about $1.1 million in salaries wages and benefits. On top of the 30we added last year that is about 70 new jobs and $2 million in additional salaries, wages and benefits.”

Other additions to the hospital this year were a new outpatient Geri-Psyc Program, a new Gynological Surgery program, Inpatient and Outpatient Urological Surgery and expansion of the lab. The hospital will also be opening up their sleep lab in a couple of weeks.

The hospital also picked up the District Seven Maternity Care Contract, which will allow them to add 227 deliveries to their OB program.

Marshall credited these upgrades for the good fortune that has bestowed itself on the facility.

“It is simply a matter of adding services,” Marshall answered when asked what impacted the hospital so positively. “It is a combination of those and people staying home and using the hospital. WE talk about economic development and I don’t know how many plants we are going to get to hire 70 employees. We have added 70 jobs paying an average of $27,000 a year. It is just a matter of people gaining confidence in the hospital and using it.”