[Small hospitals and their insertion in Brazil's National Health System (SUS)].

Unlabelled: This paper analyses small hospitals (less than fifty beds) in Brazil, in terms of their geographical distribution, legal status, types of wards and units, structures and service production. Under a directive published in April 2004, the Ministry of Health contracts and encourages these hospitals to adapt their profiles to the new roles assigned to them in the health system; consequently, data from December 2005 is compared to data from April 2004.

Results: Small hospitals represent 62% of Brazil's hospital network, with 18% of current beds.