Community hospital capacity has declined as lengths of stay decrease and use of outpatient procedures grows, although the decline appears to have leveled off since 2000. In 2003, the nation’s community hospitals housed 280 beds for every 100,000 residents, almost two-thirds the capacity that existed in 1975.

Notes: Data are for community hospitals, which represent 85% of all hospitals. Federal hospitals, long term care hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, institutions for the mentally retarded, and alcoholism and other chemical dependency hospitals are not included.

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation calculations using hospital bed data from American Hospital Association, Hospital Statistics, 1994, Table 1, p.7 (1975, 1980 data); personal communication, Health Research and Educational Trust, October 2003 (1985-2001 data); 2002 and 2003 AHA Annual Survey data, Copyright by Health Forum LLC, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association, and July 1 population data from U.S. Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov/population/estimates/nation/popclockest.txt (1975-1985), http://eire.census.gov/popest/data/national/tables/intercensal/US-EST90INT-01.php (1990-1995), and http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html (2000-2003).