Fast Facts on US Hospitals

View the Fast Facts as a PDF file here.

The American Hospital Association conducts an annual survey of hospitals in the United States. The data below, from the 2006 annual survey, are a sample of what you will find in AHA Hospital Statistics, 2008 edition. The definitive source for aggregate hospital data and trend analysis, AHA Hospital Statistics includes current and historical data on utilization, personnel, revenue, expenses, managed care contracts, community health indicators, physician models, and much more.

AHA Hospital Statistics is published annually by Health Forum, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association. Additional details on AHA Hospital Statistics and other Health Forum data products are available at www.healthforum.com. To order AHA Hospital Statistics, call (800) AHA-2626 or click on www.ahaonlinestore.com.

For further information or customized data and research, call the AHA Resource Center at (312) 422-2050 for one-stop service.

Total Number of All U.S. Registered * Hospitals

5,747

Number of U.S. Community ** Hospitals

4,927

Number of Nongovernment Not-for-Profit Community Hospitals

2,919

Number of Investor-Owned (For-Profit) Community Hospitals

889

Number of State and Local Government Community Hospitals

1,119

Number of Federal Government Hospitals

221

Number of Nonfederal Psychiatric Hospitals

451

Number of Nonfederal Long Term Care Hospitals

129

Number of Hospital Units of Institutions
(Prison Hospitals, College Infirmaries, Etc.)

19

 

 

Total Staffed Beds in All U.S. Registered* Hospitals

947,412

Staffed Beds in Community** Hospitals

802,658

Total Admissions in All U.S. Registered* Hospitals

37,188,775

Admissions in Community** Hospitals

35,377,659

Total Expenses for All U.S. Registered* Hospitals

$607,355,354,000

Expenses for Community** Hospitals

$551,835,328,000

 

 

Number of Rural Community** Hospitals

2,001

Number of Urban Community** Hospitals

2,926

 

 

Number of Community Hospitals in a System ***

2,755

Number of Community Hospitals in a Network ****

1,508


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Registered hospitals are those hospitals that meet AHA's criteria for registration as a hospital facility. Registered hospitals include AHA member hospitals as well as nonmember hospitals. For a complete listing of the criteria used for registration, please see Registration Requirements for Hospitals.

**Community hospitals are defined as all nonfederal, short-term general, and other special hospitals. Other special hospitals include obstetrics and gynecology; eye, ear, nose, and throat; rehabilitation; orthopedic; and other individually described specialty services. Community hospitals include academic medical centers or other teaching hospitals if they are nonfederal short-term hospitals. Excluded are hospitals not accessible by the general public, such as prison hospitals or college infirmaries.

***System is defined by AHA as either a multihospital or a diversified single hospital system. A multihospital system is two or more hospitals owned, leased, sponsored, or contract managed by a central organization. Single, freestanding hospitals may be categorized as a system by bringing into membership three or more, and at least 25 percent, of their owned or leased non-hospital preacute or postacute health care organizations. System affiliation does not preclude network participation.

**** Network is a group of hospitals, physicians, other providers, insurers and/or community agencies that work together to coordinate and deliver a broad spectrum of services to their community. Network participation does not preclude system affiliation.

Updated October 23, 2007