Accounts Receivable - Textual (Details)	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Accounts Receivable (Textual) (Abstract)
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts as a Percentage of Total Patient Accounts Receivable	9.20%	10.30%

Allowance for doubtful accounts expressed as a percentage of gross patient accounts receivable.

No definition available.

Name:	hls_AllowanceForDoubtfulAccountsAsPercentageOfPatientAccountsReceivable
Namespace Prefix:	hls_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant