The story of our members and the essential people and communities they serve
Essential Data, an annual snapshot of our more than 350 members and the people and communities they serve, tells the story of how essential hospitals overcome significant financial challenges to bring exceptional care to people who face social and economic barriers to good health and health care access.
Millions of people rely on essential hospitals for care across the continuum, jobs and economic activity, and front-line leadership during times of crisis.
This year’s report, based on data collected from our annual Member Characteristics Survey and federal and other national sources, captures essential hospitals’ work to increase access to high-quality care and specialty services, all while operating on margins of −9 percent compared with −2.8 percent for all other hospitals, based on Medicare cost report data.
Essential Data 2024: Our Hospitals, Our Patients, also found essential hospitals:
- Provided nearly $7.9 billion in charity care, or 28 percent of all charity care, despite representing just 5 percent of hospitals nationwide
- Served communities in which 13 million individuals live below the poverty line, 5.9 million struggle with food insecurity, and nearly three-quarters of patients were uninsured or covered by Medicaid or Medicare
- Accounted for nearly a third of the nation’s level I trauma centers and 41 percent of burn care beds
- Employed more than 880,000 people nationally and drove more than $283 billion in state economic output
Infographics and narrative stories throughout the report illustrate the findings, documenting the vital role essential hospitals play in caring for underserved people and communities.