Acute & Hospital Care
Hospital & Inpatient Care
CMS IPPS and VBP policy, hospital readmissions, HAC reduction, emergency operations, health system strategy, and workforce news for hospitals and health systems nationwide.
6,100
Hospitals in the U.S.
AHA Fast Facts 2026
35.7M
Admissions/Year
AHA 2026 (2024 survey)
$185B
FFS Medicare Hospital Spend
IPPS + OPPS, MedPAC 2024 data
4.5 days
Average Length of Stay
National acute average
Coverage Areas
Acute & Hospital Care Topics
Policy, clinical, and operational coverage for hospitals, health systems, emergency departments, and inpatient care settings across the acute care continuum.
Federal inpatient payment policy — IPPS annual rules, DRG methodology, Hospital VBP, HRRP, and HAC Reduction Program.
Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS)
Hospital Value-Based Purchasing (VBP)
Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP)
HAC Reduction Program & Patient Safety
Emergency department throughput, boarding, capacity management, trauma systems, and rapid response protocols.
ED Boarding & Capacity Management
Sepsis Protocols & Rapid Response
Trauma Center Designation & Operations
EMTALA Compliance & Transfers
Nurse staffing ratios, physician employment models, hospitalist programs, and workforce pipeline challenges facing health systems.
Nurse Staffing Ratios & Safe Staffing
Hospitalist Medicine & Co-Management
Physician Employment & Medical Staff
Travel Nurse Market & Labor Costs
Joint Commission standards, Leapfrog safety grades, never events, sentinel event reporting, and high-reliability organization frameworks.
Joint Commission Accreditation & Standards
Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade
Never Events & Sentinel Event Review
Infection Control & Antimicrobial Stewardship
Mergers, acquisitions, service line strategy, 340B drug program, disproportionate share (DSH), and hospital financial sustainability.
Health System Mergers & Acquisitions
340B Drug Pricing Program
Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH)
Hospital Operating Margins & Finance
EHR optimization, clinical decision support, AI diagnostics, remote patient monitoring, and surgical robotics in acute care settings.
EHR Optimization & Interoperability
AI & Clinical Decision Support
Surgical Robotics & Minimally Invasive
Hospital at Home & Virtual Care
Data & Trends
U.S. Hospital Ownership
AHA 2026 — 6,100 hospitals (community-hospital ownership mix)
30-Day Readmission Rates
National average — CMS Hospital Compare 2023
FFS Medicare Hospital Spend
$185B total, 2024 — MedPAC (excludes Medicare Advantage)