Licensed Beds is defined as the maximum number of beds for which a hospital holds a license to operate (“AHRQ releases standardized hospital bed definitions,” 2005). However many hospitals do not operate all of the beds for which they are licensed which is a reason the bed count and the number of licensed beds may be different. They may have a number of physically available beds, theses beds that are licensed, physically set up, and available for use. These are beds regularly maintained in the hospital for the use of patients, which furnish accommodations with supporting services (such as food, laundry, and housekeeping). These beds may or may not be staffed but are physically available.
The number of discharges can be used to measure capacity
The number of discharges can be used to measure capacity