The number of licensed beds at the 15 biggest hospitals in the San Fernando Valley declined slightly from last year’s 4,946 to 4,906. Statewide, there are more hospital beds available than needed, prompting many hospitals to downsize. That is because the length of the average hospital stay has been cut almost in half over the past 20 years and many procedures can now be done without requiring a hospital stay. There are two very real issues facing hospitals this year: a growing population of uninsured patients and a nursing shortage. Emergency rooms across the Valley are becoming more crowded with patients who are unable to pay for service, and although five of the hospitals on the list have reported an increase in nursing staffs, most of the others have reported a rather significant drop.
