Hospitals are pouring big bucks into expansions across the U.S., but the trend is particularly marked in Arizona, whose hospital infrastructure has fallen behind as the state has grown. Right now, the state only has two inpatient beds per 1,000 residents, compared with an average of 2.8 inpatient beds per 1,000 nationwide. In response, the state's hospitals have set plans for $3.3 billion worth of building over the next five years. The construction process will add about 2,900 beds across Arizona. Not only are metropolitan hospitals planning big-ticket expansions, even small rural hospitals like Safford, AZ-based Mount Graham Regional Medical Center are jumping in, struggling with substantial increases in traffic.
To learn more about this trend:
- read this article from The Arizona Republic