The hospital caters to the people of Region III with the people of Pampanga as its primary catchment area and the nearby provinces of Bataan, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Tarlac, Zambales, and Aurora as its secondary catchment areas.
In 1921, it started with an 8-bed capacity funded by the provincial Capitol and gradually increased its capacity through the succeeding decades. In 2013, under Republic Act No. 10355, Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital increased its bed capacity to 500.
On July 21, 2019, the President signed R.A. No. 11359, “An Act Increasing the Bed Capacity of Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga from Five Hundred (500) Beds to One Thousand (1,000) Beds, Upgrading its Service Facilities and Professional Healthcare Services, Authorizing the Increase of its Medical Workforce Complement, Repealing for the Purpose Republic Act No. 10355, and Appropriating Funds Therefor.”