November 2025: Hospital Capacity Awareness Month

WHEREAS, Michigan hospitals provide more than 25,000 inpatient beds in more than 150 acute care facilities, ranging from large academic medical centers to critical access facilities serving rural areas; and,

WHEREAS, more than 1.3 million Michiganders were hospitalized in Michigan and the surrounding states during 2022; and,

WHEREAS, due to an aging population with more complex medical needs and a shrinking number of inpatient health care professionals to provide that care, occupancy levels for staffed beds in hospitals have risen in a number of facilities, constraining capacity for specialty care. With higher occupancy, matching patients’ needs to a decreasing number of appropriate beds becomes exponentially more difficult; and,

WHEREAS, capacity management functions (defined as admitting, bed management, transfer centers and discharge and care expediting) have a significant impact on any hospital’s ability to deliver care during periods of high occupancy and thus have an impact on a patient’s ability to receive care. These functions are critically important during viral surges and at other times of high occupancy; and,

WHEREAS, efficient capacity management functions further improve communication between care teams, reduce length of stay for patients and improve the quality and safety of care provided by hospitals; and,

WHEREAS, during this month, we raise awareness of the positive impact that capacity management functions have in providing efficient patient care and improving capacity of our hospitals; and, 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim November 2025 as Hospital Capacity Awareness Month in Michigan.