A hospital network is a public, non-profit or for-profit company or organization that provides two or more hospitals and other broad healthcare facilities and services. A hospital network may include hospitals in one or more regions within one or more states within one or more countries. A hospital network has one headquarters, usually within one of the regions served by the network facilities. (The terms hospital system and health care system are used more broadly to define the organization of people, institutions, and resources that deliver health care services to meet the health needs of a region or country.)
History Some of the earliest hospital networks were affiliated with charitable, religious organizations. The Catholic Church established a hospital network in medieval Europe that was vastly improved from the merely reciprocal hospitality of the Greeks and family-based obligations of the Romans. These hospitals were established to cater to "particular social groups marginalized by poverty, sickness, and age," according to historian of hospitals, Guenter Risse.
In the late 20th century hospital networks were established to make delivery of healthcare more efficient and to share specialized medical services and physicians across the network. To avoid financial losses due to shrinking reimbursements and rising costs as well as improving quality of care and avoid duplication of services, hospitals may consolidate certain services at one hospital. However, patients may need to travel farther if those services are no longer offered at their local hospital.Summit's maternity facility to be folded into Alta Bates September 16, 2001 ANG News Online. Accessed September 3, 2007.
Largest hospital networks Hospital networks that do not have reliable sources may not be included; these are not necessarily complete lists.
Ranked by capacity This is a list of hospital networks with a capacity of more than 2,500 beds. Hospital networkCountryBedsAs of yearRefAlberta Health Services40,9052024Helios38,1292021HCA Healthcare38,0152022Asklepios Kliniken27,0902019CommonSpirit Health17,1482022Ascension16,2412022IHH Healthcare15,000Trinity Health14,6212022Veterans Health Administration13,000Tenet Healthcare12,8222022Manipal Hospitals India12,0002025Chang Gung Medical Foundation11,3602025Advocate Health10,5282022Apollo Hospitals10,2612020Community Health Systems9,8502022Providence Health & Services9,4452022Kaiser Permanente9,2172022University of Pittsburgh Medical Center8,8002022AdventHealth8,0382022First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University7,000Cleveland Clinic6,0262019University Hospitals Ruhr Bochum5,6452021SingHealth4,8142021National Healthcare Group4,6832019West China Medical Center4,300Fortis Healthcare4,0002020Metro Pacific Hospitals3,2002018Charité3,0992021
Ranked by staff This is a list of hospital networks with at least 20,000 staff. HospitalCountryStaffAs of yearRefVeterans Health Administration330,000HCA Healthcare309,0002024Kaiser Permanente219,9302024CommonSpirit Health175,0002024Advocate Health155,0002024Alberta Health Services133,0502024Helios125,0002021AdventHealth100,0002025University of Pittsburgh Medical Center100,0002024Mayo Clinic70,0002019Cleveland Clinic80,6422024Apollo Hospitals62,9392020IHH Healthcare55,000Johns Hopkins Medicine53,3522018Asklepios Kliniken36,2652019SingHealth31,5702021Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust23,0002019
By country
United States
The largest hospital networks headquartered in the United States are included in the table below. The name, headquarters location, number of hospitals, funding type and founding year are given for each network. As of 2023, there were 6,129 hospitals in the United States.
+ Hospital networks headquartered in the United StatesNetworkHQ cityStateNo. of hospitals in networkFundingFoundedUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsWashington, D.C.Washington, D.C.171 (2021), American Hospital Directory, Modern Healthcarepublic (Federal)1989HCA HealthcareNashvilleTennessee184 (2021)for-profit1968AscensionSt. LouisMissouri139 (2021)non-profit Catholic1999CommonSpirit HealthChicagoIllinois137 (2021)non-profit Catholic2019Community Health SystemsFranklinTennessee84 (2021)for-profit1985Trinity HealthLivoniaMichigan92 (2021)non-profit Catholic2000LifePoint HealthBrentwoodTennessee84 (2021)for-profit1999Advocate HealthCharlotteNorth Carolina69 (2024)non-profit2022Tenet HealthcareDallasTexas65 (2021)for-profit1969Vibra HealthcareMechanicsburgPennsylvania45 (2021)for-profit2004Providence Health & ServicesRentonWashington52 (2021)non-profit Catholic2016AdventHealthAltamonte SpringsFlorida57 (2026)non-profit (Seventh-day Adventist Church)1973Baylor Scott & White HealthDallasTexas52 (2021)for-profit1897Bon Secours Mercy HealthCincinnatiOhio50 (2021)non-profit Catholic2018Prime Healthcare ServicesOntarioCalifornia45 (2021)for-profit2001Sanford HealthSioux FallsSouth Dakota46 (2021)non-profit1894Mercy HealthSt. LouisMissouri40 (2021)non-profit Catholic1871University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)PittsburghPennsylvania40 (2021)non-profit1893Kaiser PermanenteOaklandCalifornia39 (2021)consortium of for-profit and non-profit1945MercyOneCliveIowa25 (2021)non-profit Catholic1998Christus HealthIrvingTexas60 (2021)non-profit Catholic1999Avera HealthSioux FallsSouth Dakota35 (2021)non-profit Catholic1897 Ardent Health ServicesNashvilleTennessee30 (2021)for-profit1993Great Plains Health AllianceWichitaKansas29 (2021)non-profit1950 Texas Health ResourcesArlingtonTexas27 (2021)non-profit faith based1997Banner HealthPhoenixArizona30 (2021)non-profit1999NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare SystemNew York CityNew York26non-profit Presbyterian2015Providence Health & ServicesRentonWashington52 (2021)non-profit Catholic1859Indian Health ServiceRockvilleMaryland46 (2021)public (Federal)1955Quorum Health CorporationBrentwoodTennessee22 (2021)for-profit2015Universal Health ServicesKing of PrussiaPennsylvania26 (2021)for-profit1979Intermountain HealthSalt Lake CityUtah24 (2021)non-profit1970Sutter HealthSacramentoCalifornia24 (2021)non-profit1921Community Hospital CorporationPlanoTexas29 (2021)for-profit1996Mayo Clinic Health SystemRochesterMinnesota20 (2021)non-profit1992Northwell HealthNew Hyde ParkNew York23 (2021)non-profit1997SSM HealthSt. LouisMissouri23 (2021)non-profit Catholic1872Baptist HealthMemphisTennessee22 (2021)non-profit Baptist1955UnityPoint HealthWest Des MoinesIowa39 (2021)non-profit1993Ballad HealthJohnson CityTennessee21 (2021)non-profit2018Hospital Sisters Health SystemSpringfieldIllinois15non-profit Catholic1978BJC HealthCareSt. LouisMissouri15non-profit1993Allina HealthMinneapolisMinnesota12non-profit1983
Notes:
Canadian headquartered hospital networks Alberta Health Services, Province of Alberta, 106 hospitals Scarborough Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, 3 hospitals Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, 2 hospitals The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, 3 hospitals Toronto East Health Network Trillium Health Partners, Toronto, Ontario, 3 hospitals Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, 3 hospitals University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, 4 hospitals William Osler Health System, Brampton, Ontario, 2 hospitals Grey Bruce Health Services, Grey County, Ontario and Bruce County, Ontario, 6 hospitals Halton Healthcare, Greater Toronto Area, 3 hospitals London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, 2 hospitals McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, 7 hospitals
Irish headquartered hospital networks A new grouping of hospitals was announced by the Irish Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly TD in May 2013, as part of a restructure of Irish public hospitals and a goal of delivering better patient care: Dublin North East (subsequently renamed RCSI Hospitals) Dublin Midlands (subsequently renamed Dublin Midlands Hospital Group) Dublin East (subsequently renamed Ireland East Hospital Group) South/South West (subsequently renamed South/Southwest Hospital Group) West/North West (subsequently renamed Saolta University Health Care Group) Mid West (subsequently renamed UL Hospitals Group)
United Kingdom National Health Service (England) NHS Scotland NHS Wales Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland
Other Aga Khan Health Services, HQ in France Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France; 44 hospitals Chang Gung Medical Foundation, Taiwan, 8 hospitals Hirslanden Private Hospital Group, Switzerland, 17 hospitals
See also Health system History of hospitals
References