Hospital facilities are popping up in closer proximity to one another as part of a nationwide building boom, with San Francisco, Denver and Chicago spending the most on hospital projects in the past two years, according to a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review report.
An editorial investigation conducted by the newspaper led to the following findings:
• From 2008-Nov. 1, hospitals borrowed $144 billion through public bond issues for construction, refinancing, equipment and other expenses.
• Though the number of hospital beds in the United States has dropped by 250,000 since 1990, the occupancy rate remains steady at nearly 70 percent, showing a general lack of need for more bed space.
• San Francisco leads the nation in hospital construction, due in part to a California mandate to build hospitals able to withstand earthquakes. Six hospitals currently planned or underway have cost $4.9 billion in the past four years.
• Hospital building has become a popular defense strategy for health systems. In Pennsylvania, UPMC is building a $240 million hospital less than a mile from Forbes Regional Hospital, which is owned by rival West Penn Allegheny Health System.
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An editorial investigation conducted by the newspaper led to the following findings:
• From 2008-Nov. 1, hospitals borrowed $144 billion through public bond issues for construction, refinancing, equipment and other expenses.
• Though the number of hospital beds in the United States has dropped by 250,000 since 1990, the occupancy rate remains steady at nearly 70 percent, showing a general lack of need for more bed space.
• San Francisco leads the nation in hospital construction, due in part to a California mandate to build hospitals able to withstand earthquakes. Six hospitals currently planned or underway have cost $4.9 billion in the past four years.
• Hospital building has become a popular defense strategy for health systems. In Pennsylvania, UPMC is building a $240 million hospital less than a mile from Forbes Regional Hospital, which is owned by rival West Penn Allegheny Health System.
Related Articles on Hospital Construction:
Regions Hospital in Minnesota to Invest $9.5M for ConstructionChandler Regional Medical Center in Arizona to Build $125M Tower
Edward Hospital in Illinois Proposes $63.7M Expansion Plan