Overview (First Page)
Title Hospital Ownership and Facility Types Across U.S. Hospitals
Subtitle Camille Brown Flexadashboard - PH W251B Data Visualization Public Health
Data Source Hospitals.csv (Dataset Week 14 contianing facilty-level characteristics of U.S. Hospitals)
Background This dashboard summarizes a facility‑level hospital dataset containing information on hospital type, ownership, and other characteristics for hospitals across the United States. The study population consists of hospitals in the United States, which represents a cross‑section of U.S. facilities at a single point in time, December 19, 2021 at 12:00 am. The analysis focuses on the following linked research questions: (1) How do hospital ownership patterns vary across different hospital types? and (2) How does the composition of hospital types differ within each ownership category? Ownership structures include nonprofit, government, and proprietary, the structure influences how hospitals are financed, governed, and staffed, as well as the range of services they provide and the communities they serve. Understanding these relationships is important for public health professionals because it helps them evaluate system capacity, identify potential differences in service delivery and access, and anticipate how structural factors in the hospital system might shape preparedness and response during emergencies and public health planning.
Results The first visualization examines the ownership mix within each hospital type. The results show that nonprofit hospitals account for the largest share of many hospital categories. Government-owned facilities tend to be concentrated in specific types of hospitals, often in roles associated with public service or essential care. Proprietary (private, for-profit) hospitals appear in smaller proportions and tend to cluster in select hospital categories. The second visualization, presented interactively, reverses the perspective by showing how hospital types are distributed within each ownership group. Nonprofit hospitals exhibit the widest range of facility types, suggesting a broad footprint across the healthcare system. Government hospitals display a narrower range of types, consistent with specialized public-sector missions. Proprietary hospitals also show limited diversity in hospital types, aligning with specific market-driven niches. The take home message of this project reveals how ownership and hospital type are closely linked. Nonprofit hospitals dominate both in total numbers and diversity of facility types. Government and proprietary hospitals contribute fewer facility types and appear more specialized in their roles. These patterns highlight important structural differences within the U.S. hospital landscape, with implications for service distribution, system planning, and public health preparedness.
Visualization 1
