Virginia hospitals and health systems were found to have provided $3.7 billion in community support and generated $62.2 billion in positive economic impact across the commonwealth in 2023, a new report shows.
On Wednesday, the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA) released its 2025 Annual Report on Community Benefit which analyzed data from fiscal year 2023 to “provide a summary of the immense contributions made by Virginia hospitals.”
The report found that $3.7 million was provided to communities throughout the commonwealth in the form of uncompensated care, community investments, taxes paid, and more.
Out of $3.7 billion in community support, $1.1 billion went towards “government payment shortfalls due to the difference between Medicare reimbursements and the actual cost of care;” $356 million in “charity care;” $249 million for “means-tested programs and subsidized health services;” $357 million in “bad debt for services not paid in full by a patient or third-party payer;” $693 million to “cover the state share of Medicaid expansion costs in 2024;” and $210 million in “community health investments.”
In 2023, Virginia’s 111 hospitals directly employed 140,705 health care staff members, paid out $12.5 billion in salaries and benefits, and provided $62.2 billion back to the commonwealth’s economy.
In total, Virginia hospitals accommodated 3.4 million emergency department visits which led to 512,517 admissions, accepted more than 765,000 inpatient admissions accounting for 4.4 million patient days, and delivered more than 86,000 babies in 2023.
“Virginia hospitals and health systems…are always available when unexpected medical needs arise: whether overnight, on holidays, or in inclement weather,” VHHA said in its report.
“Their teams of doctors, nurses, technicians, caregivers, and support staff always answer the call by prioritizing patient well-being and focusing on sustaining and restoring quality of life through necessary medical interventions,” VHHA added.
To view VHHA’s full 2025 Annual Report on Community Benefit and previous years’ reports, visit https://vhha.com/community-benefit/
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Virginia Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Hospital Exterior” by Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association.
