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Mass General Brigham Hospitals Face Constant “Capacity Disaster,” Forced to Decline Thousands of Transfers

2 minute read

Hospitals and healthcare systems across Massachusetts and the country continue to face an unrelenting capacity crisis, driven by sicker patients who are often forced to stay in the hospital for longer than necessary because of a shortage of post-acute beds.

The data show that Mass General Brigham is not immune from these trends. Anne Klibanski, MD, President and CEO of Mass General Brigham, recently testified at the Health Policy Commission’s annual Cost Trends Hearing, and articulated how these pressures are impacting our system.

Below are key takeaways from Dr. Klibanski’s testimony that illustrate the enormous capacity and length of stay challenges faced by Mass General Brigham and peer health systems:

By the Numbers

  • In Fiscal Year 2024, Mass General Brigham was forced to decline 1,836 inpatient transfers from the community due to capacity constraints.

  • Last year, our two academic medical centers, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, were in a state of “capacity disaster” 95% of the time.

  • On average, our AMCs had 102 boarders in their emergency departments each day, an increase of 20% compared to last year.

  • Because of these capacity constraints, last year, the average wait time for a medical/surgical inpatient bed was 19 hours, while average wait time for a behavioral health inpatient bed was 31 hours.

  • Mass General Brigham’s risk adjusted length of stay remains approximately 10% higher than the national average.

  • Mass General Brigham is not alone in facing these challenges: According to the last available data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 27 hospitals in Massachusetts were at or above 90% capacity and another 10 hospitals were at or above 85% capacity.

    • A hospital is considered functionally full at 85% capacity, but anything higher creates significant challenges.

  • According to the most recent data from the Massachusetts Hospital Association, 2,149 patients are awaiting discharge to a post-acute facility.

 

Read more from the Massachusetts Hospital Association: Mass. Hospitals are teetering on the edge