Inappropriate Number of Acute Care Beds Planned by VA for New Hospitals

The Veterans Administration (VA) is planning four replacement hospitals as part of its construction program. VA relied on historical patient work load data trends projected to 1985 from each of the existing facilities in making its estimates of future bed requirements. However, historical data on patient use of existing facilities are not considered a good indicator of future needs if lower-cost alternatives to acute care are not readily available to VA in sufficient quantities. Without access to such alternatives as intermediate care and nursing home care, VA hospital patients would tend to remain longer than necessary in acute care beds, and historical data on patient use would be artificially inflated.