Hospital system overwhelmed

[Spongebob]

Yes, but maybe you don't know what the average working capacity is normally: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1859...ince-2001/

That's a good graphic; I hadn't seen that.  But then it doesn't mean that data is super accurate.  For one thing its a national based graphic.  Who knows what the data looks like locally and that's what really matters.  We don't normally ship patients from Macon, GA to Pensacola, FL just because there's capacity available.  When local events happen, like floods, earthquakes, fires, traffic pileups, mass shootings, even flu...you name it, the local hospitals often get overwhelmed.  We've seen covid cause this in numerous regions because its happening everywhere.

Population increase is predictable and relatively static, unforeseen disease or disaster is not. The school comparison is not valid.

I didn't say it was a perfect comparison, just a comparison.  The point is we, as a community, see school overcrowding as a negative thing so we react by providing more capacity.  Why don't we do the same with the medical systems.  I think Nudger is making a good point, if the medical industry is profit driven then it will be designed to maximize profits and little else.  I think all the hospitals in my area are for profit and I know they are often extremely busy because I know people who have had to wait weeks for serious procedures due to lack of the available slots in the OR.  As I said, this could have more to do with limited medical personnel than beds.

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All of this is to point out that the reason we don't do that (or do it to a greater extent) isn't that there's just no way to know or plan.  There is, and we do.  Planning and doing those things would (and does) impact quarterlies at present, though - and that's really all there is to it in a life for profit model.