Healthcare Insights

Top 10 hospitals by operating room square footage

Why is operating room square footage important?

Operating room (OR) square footage is the total number of square feet in a healthcare facility’s operating rooms. Like total facility area or the number of staffed beds, operating room square footage indicates a healthcare facility’s size. A larger hospital operating room square footage suggests the facility has more space and resources to complete surgeries and other essential procedures.

Here is a list of the top 10 hospitals in the U.S. with the most operating room square footage.

10 hospitals with the most operating room square footage

RankHospital nameStateDefinitive IDOperating room square feetExplore dataset
1Surgeons Choice Medical CenterMI20681,891,220Explore
2Hillsboro Area HospitalIL1238617,700Explore
3Massachusetts General HospitalMA1973516,548Explore
4Methodist University HospitalTN3818503,601Explore
5The Johns Hopkins HospitalMD1914433,084Explore
6Licking Memorial HospitalOH3178414,690Explore
7Norton HospitalKY1678360,952Explore
8Cleveland Clinic Main CampusOH3120335,951Explore
9Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical CenterTX4018333,713Explore
10AdventHealth Orlando (FKA Florida Hospital Orlando)FL873332,887Explore

Fig. 1 Data is from Definitive Healthcare’s  HospitalView database. Data accessed November 2023.

Which hospital has the most operating room square footage?

Surgeons Choice Medical Center has the greatest operating room square footage at 1,891,220 square feet. This is more than three times larger than the second hospital on our list--Hillsboro Area Hospital, which has a total OR square footage of 617,700. Massachusetts General Hospital comes in third place with a total operating room square footage of 516,548.

The top 10 hospitals by operating room square footage have a combined square footage of 5,740,346 square feet and average square footage of 574,035 square feet.

Operating room standard design

Specialists design operating rooms to have devices and equipment so that healthcare providers can optimally provide surgical care to patients.

Operating room standards

A study published by the Nature Public Health Emergency Collection determined that operating rooms must have a multitude of elements, including:

  • Proper ventilation
  • Washable and soothing walls
  • Emergency drugs and supplies
  • Adequate lighting
  • Non-slippery flooring
  • Appropriate doors and windows
  • Specialized rooms for certain procedures
  • Hard, impervious ceilings
  • OR rooms of 6.5 m × 6.5 m × 3.5 m

How many square feet is the average operating room?

While each operating room at a hospital may vary depending on the type of procedure being done, the average size is around 600 square feet and typically accommodates between 4 –8 people in the room at one time.

What are the three types of operating rooms?

The three types of operating rooms are digital, hybrid and integrated.

Digital ORs configure various imaging, software, and video platforms, providing a depth of medical data within the space. Digital ORs also record, collect, and transmit data to relevant IT systems for storage.

Hybrid ORs accommodate a range of surgical areas, with a general focus on vascular and minimally invasive procedures. Hybrid ORs typically contain elements related to imaging, such as MRI and CT. These aspects let providers review medical imaging without having to move the patient.

Integrated ORs connect a range of patient information, including video, audio, specialized equipment, building automation, and surgical and room lights.

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