This year’s annual profile of association membership, Essential Data 2022: Our Hospitals, Our Patients, illustrates the social and economic challenges that influence health and weigh heaviest on the underrepresented people and marginalized communities essential hospitals serve.
Millions of people rely on essential hospitals for exceptional care, jobs and economic activity, and front-line leadership in times of greatest need — including the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.
This year’s report, based on data collected from our annual Member Characteristics Survey and other national sources, captures essential hospitals’ rapid response to care for those on whom the pandemic took its heaviest toll, all while operating on margins that are 40 percent of those at other hospitals.
Essential Data 2022: Our Hospitals, Our Patients, also found essential hospitals:
- provided 27.2 percent of all charity care nationally, or about $7.4 billion;
- served communities in which 15.8 million individuals live below the poverty line, 7.5 million struggle with food insecurity, and three-quarters were uninsured or covered by Medicaid or Medicare;
- accounted for nearly a third of the nation’s level I trauma centers and 40 percent of burn care beds; and
- trained nearly three times more physician residents than other U.S. teaching hospitals.
Infographics and narrative stories throughout the report illustrate the findings, documenting the vital role essential hospitals play in caring for disadvantaged people and communities.
