Health and Human Services Agency
California Department of Public Health

AFL 26-26

July 20, 2026

TO:

General Acute Care Hospitals (GACHs)

SUBJECT:

California Hospital Bed and EMS Data System (HBEDS)

All Facilities Letter (AFL) Summary

This AFL notifies hospitals of the official launch of HBEDS.
HBEDS is a statewide platform that provides real‑time visibility into hospital bed availability that will support everyday hospital operations, patient transfers, and coordinated emergency response across California.

Background

HBEDS is an automated system that collects and displays up‑to‑date hospital bed availability on a secure, privately accessible dashboard. The platform will be used by hospital staff, Regional Disaster Medical Health Coordinators/Specialists (RDMHC/S), Medical Health Operational Area Coordinators (MHOACs), local public health agencies, local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies, and state officials. By offering timely, standardized data, HBEDS strengthens decision-making during routine operations as well as during mass-casualty incidents and medical surge events.

In 2024 and early 2025, approximately 60 hospitals participated in a pilot project that tested the value and feasibility of real‑time statewide bed reporting. Based on the success of this pilot, the Legislature passed AB-177, now codified as Health and Safety Code sections 131400 to 131425, requiring the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to establish a bed capacity data system to which GACHs and emergency departments are to submit data. CDPH has developed HBEDS to comply with this mandate. This letter announces the official launch of HBEDS and provides initial information regarding the contractor, onboarding, and next steps.

Contractor Selection

CDPH has now secured a long‑term contractor for HBEDS, the Hospital Association of Southern California (HASC). HASC's ReddiNet service has operated emergency medical communications systems used by local government, hospitals, EMS, first responders, and other health care providers across California since 1971. The ReddiNet system used by HASC for HBEDS is a new real-time automated bed reporting module that can be used separately from HASC's other ReddiNet products.

Onboarding

While ReddiNet provides a new system, the experience and insight gained during the HBEDS pilot project remain invaluable. The participation by hospitals in the pilot project have directly effectuated the statewide launch and will help ensure a smooth transition. All hospitals, including the hospitals that participated in the pilot project, will need to complete onboarding into the new HBEDS system, and CDPH will provide hands‑on guidance and support throughout the process.

Next Steps

In the coming months, CDPH and HASC will begin outreach to GACHs, RDMHC/S, MHOACs, local public health agencies, and local EMS agencies to share onboarding details and implementation timelines. In addition, CDPH will convene statewide and regional governance meetings with partners to develop guidance on the effective use of HBEDS.