Profile Definitions and Methodology

Hospital name, address, telephone number, website, and system affiliation are taken from three sources according to the following precedence:

• Information may be collected and updated as the result of direct communications with hospitals, news items, etc.  Such information has highest precedence over other sources.
• Information may be collected or updated directly from a hospital's website or from a system's website.
• Information for hospitals without websites may be taken from their most recent Medicare cost report and/or the Medicare Provider of Services file.  (Data for these hospitals are updated quarterly as new versions of these files become available.  Data from these sources are only used when information is not available from a website or through direct communications.)

Notes are continually updated to reflect important information regarding mergers, new ownership, changes in operations, etc.

All facilities that participate in the Medicare program are assigned a unique number that identifies that is used for claims processing, cost reporting, etc. This number was originally referred to as the "Medicare Provider Number" but is now known as the CMS Certification Number (CCN).

The type of facility is determined from the last four digits of its CMS Certification Number:

A hospital's type of control is taken from its most recent Medicare cost report (HCRIS file):

• Voluntary Nonprofit, Church
• Voluntary Nonprofit, Other
• Proprietary, Individual
• Proprietary, Corporation
• Proprietary, Partnership
• Proprietary, Other
• Governmental, Federal
• Governmental, City-County
• Governmental, County
• Governmental, State
• Governmental Hospital District
• Governmental, City
• Governmental, Other

Hospital affiliations are obtained from websites and other commercial sources. System affiliations are continually monitored and update through industry news sources (i.e. acquisitions, divestitures, etc.).

Numbers of staffed beds are taken from a hospital's most recent Medicare cost report (W/S S-3, Part I, column 2). Cost report instructions define staffed beds as, "the number of beds available for use by patients at the end of the cost reporting period. A bed means an adult bed, pediatric bed, birthing room, or newborn bed maintained in a patient care area for lodging patients in acute, long term, or domiciliary areas of the hospital. Beds in labor room, birthing room, postanesthesia, postoperative recovery rooms, outpatient areas, emergency rooms, ancillary departments, nurses' and other staff residences, and other such areas which are regularly maintained and utilized for only a portion of the stay of patients (primarily for special procedures or not for inpatient lodging) are not termed a bed for these purposes." Note that beds by unit are reported elsewhere on the Profile and the Departments reports.

• General Medical/Surgical Beds are the beds used for routine care.
• Special Care Beds include Intensive Care Units, Coronary Care Units, etc.

The total number of employees is taken from a hospital's most recent Medicare Cost Report (W/S S-3, part I, line 14, column 10).

The total number of inpatient discharges (all payors) is taken from a hospital's most recent Medicare Cost Report (W/S S-3, part I, line 14, column 8).

The total number of patient days (all payors) is taken from a hospital's most recent Medicare Cost Report (W/S S-3, part I, line 14, column 8).

The total patient revenue (inpatient and outpatient) is taken from a hospital's most recent Medicare Cost Report (W/S G-2, part I, line 28, column 3).

A hospital's county, Core Based Statistical Area (CBSA), and geographic coordinates (i.e. longitude and latitude) are determined through commercial geocoding based on the hospital's address. Please note that CBSAs replaced Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) upon implementation of new standards in 2000.

Medicare Fiscal Intermediaries (FIs) are private insurance companies that serve as the federal government's agents in the administration of the Medicare program, including the payment of claims. The name of the FI is obtained from a hospital's most recent Medicare cost report.

Medicare classifies a hospital as either "Urban" or "Rural" based on their Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hospital's can, however, be reclassified from rural to urban if they meet certain criteria. A hospital's designation is taken from its most recent Medicare Cost Report (W/S S-2, part I, line 26, column 1 OR W/S S-2, part I, column 27, line 1).

The total number of beds in Medicare and/or Medicaid certified areas within a facility. The total certified beds are reported from the Medicare Provider of Services file.