Community hospital capacity is not evenly distributed throughout the nation. In 2003, South Dakota had 578 beds per 100,000 residents, while Washington, with 183 beds per 100,000, had about a third of this capacity. A combination of factors including population density, reimbursement levels, and managed care penetration contribute to these differences. Further, there is clear regional variation: Western and Southwestern states have lower levels and Midwestern states have higher levels of hospital capacity.

Notes: District of Columbia included. 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 bed data from 2003 American Hospital Association Annual Survey, Copyright 2004 by Health Forum LLC, an affiliate of the American Hospital Association, special data request, 2005; and July 1, 2003 population data from U.S. Census Bureau at http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html.