While navigating razor-thin operating margins and spending over a trillion dollars annually on a workforce in crisis, U.S. hospitals in 2022 remained a trillion-dollar engine of American healthcare, delivering care to over half a million patients every single day.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, U.S. hospitals reported total expenses of $1.27 trillion, with labor costs accounting for 56% of total hospital spending.
- Community hospitals in the U.S. had net patient revenue of $1.153 trillion in fiscal year 2021.
- Average daily census in U.S. community hospitals was 529,965 patients in 2022.
- Total number of U.S. community hospitals stood at 5,118 in 2022.
- U.S. hospitals had 919,649 staffed beds in 2022.
- Average hospital size was 180 beds per community hospital in 2022.
- U.S. hospitals employed 6.2 million people in 2022.
- Registered nurses comprised 2.8 million of hospital staff in 2022.
- Physicians and surgeons numbered 776,000 working in hospitals in 2022.
- Total admissions to U.S. community hospitals were 33.4 million in 2022.
- Average length of stay in hospitals was 4.6 days in 2022.
- Outpatient visits to hospitals totaled 939 million in 2022.
- 92% of hospitals used EHRs in 2022.
- Telemedicine visits in hospitals reached 1.2 billion in 2022.
- AI adoption in hospitals was 35% for diagnostic imaging in 2022.
The U.S. hospital industry saw rising revenues and labor costs in 2022 after recovering from pandemic losses.
Financial Performance
1In 2022, U.S. hospitals reported total expenses of $1.27 trillion, with labor costs accounting for 56% of total hospital spending.
Verified2Community hospitals in the U.S. had net patient revenue of $1.153 trillion in fiscal year 2021.
Verified3Average daily census in U.S. community hospitals was 529,965 patients in 2022.
Verified4U.S. hospitals' total profit margin averaged 6.3% in 2022, up from -0.5% in 2021.
Directional5Nonprofit hospitals comprised 58% of U.S. community hospitals and generated 64% of net patient revenue in 2021.
Single source6Investor-owned hospitals made up 21% of community hospitals but accounted for 24% of net patient revenue in 2021.
Verified7Hospital bad debt expense reached $55 billion in 2022, representing 4.3% of net patient revenue.
Verified8Medicare paid $182.5 billion to hospitals in 2022, covering 20% of total hospital revenue.
Verified9Medicaid reimbursements to U.S. hospitals totaled $137.2 billion in 2022.
Directional10Private health insurance contributed $536.8 billion to hospital revenue in 2022.
Single source11Operating margins for rural hospitals averaged -2.4% in 2022, compared to 7.9% for urban hospitals.
Verified12Total hospital capital expenditures reached $128 billion in 2022.
Verified13Hospitals invested $12.6 billion in information technology in 2022.
Verified14Supply chain costs for hospitals rose 15.2% year-over-year in 2022.
Directional15Charity care provided by U.S. hospitals amounted to $50.4 billion in 2021.
Single source16Hospital revenue per adjusted admission averaged $16,702 in 2022.
Verified17In 2022, U.S. hospitals' total revenue hit $1.3 trillion, a 4.2% increase YoY.
Verified18Operating expenses for hospitals grew 8.1% to $1.28 trillion in 2022.
Verified19Medicare Advantage payments to hospitals averaged 82% of fee-for-service rates in 2022.
Directional20Uncompensated care costs for hospitals were $41.6 billion in 2022.
Single source21Hospital outpatient revenue share was 52% of total net patient revenue in 2022.
Verified22ICU expenses accounted for 15% of total hospital spending in 2022.
Verified23Drug costs rose 9.4% YoY to $38 billion in hospitals in 2022.
VerifiedFinancial Performance Interpretation
While American hospitals technically kept the lights on in 2022 with a slender 6.3% average profit, that wafer-thin margin was precariously propped up by over a trillion dollars in patient revenue and beset by soaring labor and supply costs, a sobering $55 billion in bad debt, and the stark reality that for rural hospitals, the financial prognosis remains critically negative.
Human Resources
1U.S. hospitals employed 6.2 million people in 2022.
Verified2Registered nurses comprised 2.8 million of hospital staff in 2022.
Verified3Physicians and surgeons numbered 776,000 working in hospitals in 2022.
Verified4Hospital FTEs totaled 5.4 million in 2022.
Directional5Nurse turnover rate in hospitals was 27.2% in 2022.
Single source6Hospitals faced a vacancy rate of 17% for RN positions in 2022.
Verified7Average RN salary in hospitals was $89,010 annually in 2022.
Verified8Hospitals spent $110 billion on contract labor in 2022.
Verified91.7 million nursing assistants worked in hospitals in 2022.
Directional10Hospital administrators numbered 220,000 in 2022.
Single source11Pharmacists in hospitals totaled 155,000 in 2022.
Verified12Radiology technologists in hospitals were 200,000 in 2022.
Verified13Labor costs as percentage of hospital expenses were 53% in 2022.
Verified14Hospitals hired 250,000 new RNs in 2022.
Directional15Allied health professionals in hospitals numbered 1.2 million in 2022.
Single source16CEO turnover in hospitals was 18% in 2022.
Verified17Hospitals reported 15% vacancy rate for physicians in 2022.
Verified18RN employment growth in hospitals was 3.2% in 2022.
Verified19Hospitals spent $1.1 trillion on workforce in 2022.
Directional20Travel nurse contracts cost $8.5 billion in 2022.
Single source21Diversity: 19% of hospital RNs were Black in 2022.
Verified22Mental health staff shortages affected 88% of hospitals in 2022.
Verified23Average tenure for hospital nurses was 6.8 years in 2022.
Verified24Hospitals trained 150,000 new healthcare workers in 2022.
Directional25Physician assistants in hospitals: 168,000 in 2022.
Single source26Respiratory therapists numbered 133,000 in hospitals in 2022.
Verified27Lab technicians in hospitals: 340,000 in 2022.
Verified28Burnout rate among hospital staff was 62% in 2022.
VerifiedHuman Resources Interpretation
The U.S. hospital industry in 2022 was a multi-trillion dollar human resources crisis masquerading as a healthcare system, where heroic efforts to hire a quarter-million new nurses were nearly undone by one in four of them quitting, all while spending more on temporary travelers than some small nations' GDPs to keep the lights on.
Infrastructure and Capacity
1Total number of U.S. community hospitals stood at 5,118 in 2022.
Verified2U.S. hospitals had 919,649 staffed beds in 2022.
Verified3Average hospital size was 180 beds per community hospital in 2022.
Verified4There were 6,093 hospitals in total in the U.S. in 2022, including non-community facilities.
Directional5Urban hospitals accounted for 82% of all community hospitals in 2022.
Single source6Rural community hospitals numbered 1,006 in 2022.
Verified7Teaching hospitals represented 22% of community hospitals in 2022.
Verified8Hospital occupancy rate averaged 64% in U.S. community hospitals in 2022.
Verified9Critical Access Hospitals numbered 1,360 in 2022, with average 25 beds each.
Directional10Total hospital square footage exceeded 2.9 billion square feet in 2022.
Single source113,488 hospitals were members of the American Hospital Association in 2022.
Verified12Psychiatric hospitals totaled 648 in the U.S. in 2022.
Verified13Rehabilitation hospitals numbered 1,110 in 2022.
Verified14Long-term acute care hospitals stood at 309 in 2022.
Directional151,775 general medical and surgical hospitals existed in 2022.
Single source16Children's hospitals numbered 223 in the U.S. in 2022.
Verified17Orthopedic specialty hospitals totaled 50 in 2022.
Verified18Hospital bed supply per 1,000 population was 2.5 in 2022.
Verified1945% of hospitals expanded capacity post-COVID in 2022.
Directional20Modular construction used in 20% of new hospital builds in 2022.
Single source21Average age of U.S. hospitals was 37 years in 2022.
Verified221,200 hospitals participated in bundled payment programs in 2022.
Verified23Outpatient surgery centers co-located with 30% of hospitals in 2022.
Verified24Total MRI machines in hospitals: 7,500 in 2022.
Directional25CT scanners numbered 14,000 in U.S. hospitals in 2022.
Single sourceInfrastructure and Capacity Interpretation
Despite boasting over 2.9 billion square feet of aging infrastructure, the U.S. hospital system presents a curiously vacant sprawl, where the average 180-bed facility quietly operates with only two-thirds of its capacity filled, suggesting we've built a remarkably spacious and underutilized safety net.
Patient Care Metrics
1Total admissions to U.S. community hospitals were 33.4 million in 2022.
Verified2Average length of stay in hospitals was 4.6 days in 2022.
Verified3Outpatient visits to hospitals totaled 939 million in 2022.
Verified4Emergency department visits reached 131 million in 2022.
Directional5Hospital readmission rate within 30 days was 15.7% for Medicare patients in 2022.
Single source6Surgical procedures in hospitals numbered 48 million in 2022.
Verified7Newborns delivered in hospitals totaled 3.6 million in 2022.
Verified8Average cost per inpatient day was $3,025 in 2022.
Verified9Patient satisfaction score (HCAHPS) averaged 72% in 2022.
Directional10Sepsis mortality rate in hospitals was 15.3% in 2022.
Single source11Pneumonia readmission rate was 17.4% within 30 days in 2022.
Verified12Heart failure readmission rate stood at 21.4% in 2022.
Verified13COPD readmission rate was 20.8% in 2022.
Verified14Total hip/knee replacement surgeries in hospitals: 500,000 in 2022.
Directional15Admissions for heart attacks: 1.1 million in 2022.
Single source16Stroke admissions totaled 795,000 in hospitals in 2022.
Verified17Cancer patients admitted: 1.9 million in 2022.
Verified18Sepsis cases treated: 1.7 million in 2022.
Verified19Average ED wait time was 2.5 hours in 2022.
Directional20Left without being seen ED rate: 2.1% in 2022.
Single source21Hospital-acquired infections: 687,000 cases in 2022.
Verified22CLABSI rate: 0.78 per 1,000 catheter days in 2022.
Verified23CAUTI rate: 1.02 per 1,000 catheter days in 2022.
Verified24SSI rate for colorectal surgery: 3.2% in 2022.
Directional25Patient safety grade A hospitals: 30% in 2022.
Single sourcePatient Care Metrics Interpretation
American hospitals are impressive, chaotic, and costly machines—performing heroic miracles for millions while simultaneously struggling to avoid preventable harm, re-admitting too many, and trying to soothe patients who spent hours waiting only to be billed for a stay more expensive than a luxury hotel.
Technological Adoption
192% of hospitals used EHRs in 2022.
Verified2Telemedicine visits in hospitals reached 1.2 billion in 2022.
Verified3AI adoption in hospitals was 35% for diagnostic imaging in 2022.
Verified4Robotic surgery procedures totaled 1.5 million in 2022.
Directional5Cybersecurity incidents in hospitals numbered 725 in 2022.
Single source6Interoperable EHR exchange rate was 78% among hospitals in 2022.
Verified765% of hospitals implemented predictive analytics in 2022.
Verified8Wearable device integration in 42% of hospitals in 2022.
Verified9Blockchain pilots for supply chain in 18% of hospitals in 2022.
Directional105G networks deployed in 25% of large hospitals in 2022.
Single source11VR therapy used in 15% of rehab hospitals in 2022.
Verified12IoT devices in hospitals averaged 10,000 per large facility in 2022.
Verified13Digital twins for facility management in 12% of hospitals in 2022.
Verified14NLP for clinical documentation in 55% of hospitals in 2022.
Directional15Revenue cycle management automation at 68% in 2022.
Single source1688% of hospitals achieved Stage 7 HIMSS EMRAM in 2022.
Verified17RPA adoption for admin tasks: 45% in 2022.
Verified18Ambient listening tech piloted in 22% of hospitals in 2022.
Verified19Genomics testing integrated in 28% of hospitals in 2022.
Directional20Cloud computing migration: 75% of hospitals in 2022.
Single source21Patient portals active for 96% of hospitals in 2022.
Verified22AR for surgical planning used in 35% of teaching hospitals in 2022.
Verified23Big data analytics for population health: 52% adoption in 2022.
Verified24Drone delivery for meds tested in 5% of hospitals in 2022.
Directional25Quantum computing research partnerships: 10 hospitals in 2022.
Single sourceTechnological Adoption Interpretation
While hospitals are rapidly becoming high-tech digital fortresses where your data is almost as integrated as your care, don't be surprised if the robot performing your surgery still faxes its report to your primary doctor.
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