Health care
Four provincial health authorities (Avezzano-Sulmona-L'Aquila, Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, Pescara, Teramo), no independent hospital trust. Abruzzo was under a recovery plan from 2007 and run by a commissioner until 2016; in the 2023 LEA monitoring it is non-compliant in two areas. Patient outflows to Rome and the Marche.
Sections: Access · Coverage · Facilities · Pharmacies · Emergencies
Organisation
The Abruzzo health service is organised in four local health authorities matching the provinces: ASL 1 Avezzano-Sulmona-L'Aquila, ASL 2 Lanciano-Vasto-Chieti, ASL 3 Pescara and ASL 4 Teramo. The main hospitals are San Salvatore in L'Aquila, Spirito Santo in Pescara, SS. Annunziata in Chieti (seat of the medical school), Mazzini in Teramo and the hospitals of Avezzano, Sulmona, Lanciano and Vasto; there are no separate hospital or university trusts. Bookings go through each ASL's CUP and the regional electronic health record.
Recovery plan and quality
Abruzzo entered a recovery plan in 2007 and was run by a commissioner from 2008 to 2016; the consolidation involved converting small inland hospitals. In the monitoring of essential care levels (LEA) for 2023, under the Ministry of Health's Nuovo Sistema di Garanzia, the region is among the non-compliant ones, with two of three areas below the threshold: the documented problems concern prevention and community care. A significant share of Abruzzo residents seek treatment outside the region, mainly in Rome and the Marche (outbound patient mobility), especially from the Marsica and Teramo areas.
Inland areas
In mountain areas emergency departments are far away and the regional air ambulance (bases in L'Aquila and Pescara) covers emergencies; in winter some roads may be closed. GPs are scarce in many municipalities around L'Aquila. Anyone settling in a village should first check the availability of a GP and the distance to the nearest hospital.
Sources
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Updated: 2026-10-14
Reviewed: 10/23/2026 · by piero.avolio · rev. 1 · Period: → 2027-04-30
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