Types of hospitals

Acute care hospitals treat short-term illness, injury and surgery with inpatient beds, and most run a 24-hour emergency department.

Critical access hospitals are small rural hospitals with 25 or fewer inpatient beds and 24/7 emergency care, designated by Medicare to keep hospital care available far from larger cities.

Children's hospitals specialize in care for infants, children and teenagers, with pediatric specialists, equipment and emergency care.

Psychiatric hospitals provide inpatient and often outpatient treatment for mental health and substance use conditions.

VA medical centers are run by the Veterans Health Administration and treat eligible veterans enrolled in VA health care.

Military hospitals are run by the Department of Defense on or near installations and serve active duty members, their families and TRICARE beneficiaries.

Rural emergency hospitals are a Medicare designation created in 2023 for rural facilities that keep 24-hour emergency and outpatient care but no longer admit inpatients.

Inpatient rehabilitation hospitals (IRFs) provide intensive therapy, usually at least three hours a day, after a stroke, brain or spinal cord injury, amputation, joint replacement or other serious illness.

Long-term care hospitals treat patients who need hospital-level care for an extended stay, often after an ICU stay, with an average length of stay above 25 days.

Nonprofit hospitals are tax-exempt and must provide community benefit, including financial assistance (charity care) policies for eligible patients.

Church-affiliated hospitals are nonprofit hospitals owned by a religious organization, such as Catholic, Adventist, Baptist or Methodist health systems.

For-profit (proprietary) hospitals are owned by investors or companies and pay taxes like other businesses.

Public hospitals are owned by a city, county, hospital district, state or federal agency, and many serve as the local safety-net hospital.

Physician-owned hospitals are partly or fully owned by doctors who practice there, often focused on surgery or a single specialty.

Tribal hospitals are run by tribes or tribal organizations, many in partnership with the Indian Health Service, for American Indian and Alaska Native patients.

These hospitals report providing emergency services to CMS. Hospital emergency departments must screen and stabilize anyone who arrives, regardless of insurance, under federal EMTALA law.

5-star hospitals received the highest CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating, which combines mortality, safety, readmission, patient experience and timely care measures.

These hospitals hold a CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating of 4 or 5 stars, the top rating groups nationally.

Trauma centers are hospitals designated by their state, and often verified by the American College of Surgeons, to treat severe injuries. Level I centers provide the most comprehensive care, Level IV and V centers stabilize and transfer.

Level I trauma centers provide every aspect of injury care around the clock, from prevention through rehabilitation, with in-house trauma surgeons, research and teaching.

Level II trauma centers offer comprehensive trauma care with 24-hour surgeons and specialists, similar to Level I but without the research and teaching requirements.

Pediatric trauma centers are designated to treat severely injured children, with pediatric surgeons, equipment and intensive care.

Birthing-Friendly is a CMS designation for hospitals that take part in a maternal care quality collaborative and follow recommended practices for safe, high-quality maternity care.