diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 67927b3..4b41a40 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -30,4 +30,4 @@ Imports:
     V8
 Depends:
     R (>= 3.2.0)
-RoxygenNote: 5.0.1
+RoxygenNote: 6.0.1
diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 8ae1495..9bb4136 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
 
 export(get_flu_data)
+export(get_hosp_data)
 export(get_mortality_surveillance_data)
 export(get_state_data)
 export(get_weekly_flu_report)
diff --git a/R/get_hosp_data.R b/R/get_hosp_data.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6242426
--- /dev/null
+++ b/R/get_hosp_data.R
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+#' Retrieves influenza hospitalization statistics from the CDC
+#'
+#' Uses the data source from the
+#' \href{https://gis.cdc.gov/GRASP/Fluview/FluHospRates.html}{CDC FluView}
+#' and provides influenza hospitalization reporting data as a data frame.
+#'
+#' @param area one of "\code{flusurvnet}", "\code{eip}", "\code{ihsp}", or two
+#'        digit state abbreviation for an individual site. Exceptions are
+#'        New York - Albany ("\code{nya}") and New York - Rochester
+#'        ("\code{nyr}")
+#' @param age_group a vector of age groups to pull data for. Possible values are:
+#'        "\code{overall}", "\code{0-4y}", "\code{5-17y}, "\code{18-49y},
+#'        "\code{50-64y}, "\code{65+y}".
+#' @param years a vector of years to retrieve data for (i.e. \code{2014} for CDC
+#'        flu season 2014-2015). Default value is the current year and all
+#'        \code{years} values should be >= \code{2009}
+#' @return A single \code{data.frame}.
+#' @note There is often a noticeable delay when making the API request to the CDC.
+#'       This is not due to a large download size, but the time it takes for their
+#'       servers to crunch the data. Wrap the function call in \code{httr::with_verbose}
+#'       if you would like to see what's going on.
+#' @export
+#' @examples \dontrun{
+#' # All of FluSurv-NET, 50-64 years old, 2010/11-2014/15 flu seasons
+#' flu <- get_hosp_data("flusurvnet", "50-64y", years=2010:2014)
+#' }
+get_hosp_data <- function(area="flusurvnet", age_group="overall",
+                         years=as.numeric(format(Sys.Date(), "%Y")) - 1) {
+
+  area <- tolower(area)
+  age_group <- tolower(age_group)
+
+  if (!(area %in% c("flusurvnet", "eip", "ihsp", "ca", "co", "ct", "ga", "md",
+                    "mn", "nm", "nya", "nyr", "or", "tn", "id", "ia", "mi",
+                    "oh", "ok", "ri", "sd", "ut")))
+    stop("Error: area must be one of flusurvnet, eip, ihsp, or a valid state abbreviation")
+
+  if (length(area) != 1)
+    stop("Error: can only select one area")
+
+  if (!all(age_group %in% c("overall", "0-4y", "5-17y", "18-49y",
+                            "50-64y", "65+y")))
+    stop("Error: invalid age group specified")
+
+  if (any(years < 2009))
+    stop("Error: years should be >= 2009")
+
+  # Match names of age groups to numbers for API
+  age_match <- data.frame(age_group = c("overall", "0-4y", "5-17y",
+                                              "18-49y", "50-64y", "65+y"),
+                                code = c(6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5))
+
+  age_group_num <- age_match$code[age_match$age_group %in% age_group]
+
+
+  # format the input parameters to fit the CDC API
+
+  years <- years - 1960
+
+  area_match <- data.frame(area = c("flusurvnet", "eip", "ca", "co", "ct",
+                                    "ga", "md", "mn", "nm", "nya", "nyr", "or",
+                                    "tn", "ihsp", "id", "ia", "mi", "oh", "ok",
+                                    "ri", "sd", "ut"),
+                           catch = c(22, 22, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17,
+                                     20, 22, 6, 5, 8, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21),
+                           network = c(1, rep(2, 12), rep(3, 9)))
+
+  # Format years
+  year_list <- lapply(seq_along(years),
+                      function(x) list(ID = years[x]))
+
+  # Format age group
+  age_list <- lapply(seq_along(age_group_num),
+                         function(x) list(ID = age_group_num[x]))
+
+  params <- list(AppVersion = "Public",
+                 agegroups = age_list,
+                 catchmentid = area_match$catch[area_match$area == area],
+                 networkid = area_match$network[area_match$area == area],
+                 seasons = year_list)
+
+  out_file <- tempfile(fileext=".json")
+
+  # CDC API returns a ZIP file so we grab, save & expand it to then read in CSVs
+
+  tmp <- httr::POST("https://gis.cdc.gov/GRASP/Flu3/PostPhase03DownloadData",
+                    body = params,
+                    encode = "json",
+                    httr::write_disk(out_file, overwrite = T))
+
+  httr::stop_for_status(tmp)
+
+  if (!(file.exists(out_file)))
+    stop("Error: cannot process downloaded data")
+
+  file <- jsonlite::fromJSON(out_file)[[1]]
+
+  # pb <- dplyr::progress_estimated(length(file))
+  # purrr::map(file, function(x) {
+  #   pb$tick()$print()
+  #   ct <- ifelse(grepl("who", x, ignore.case=TRUE), 1, 1)
+  #   suppressMessages(readr::read_csv(x, skip=ct))
+  # }) -> file_list
+
+  # names(file_list) <- substr(basename(files), 1, nchar(basename(files)) - 4)
+
+  # Depending on the parameters, there could be more than one
+  # file returned. When there's only one, return a more usable
+  # structure.
+
+    # when no rows, then it's likely the caller specified the
+    # current year and the flu season has technically not started yet.
+    # so help them out and move the year back and get current flu
+    # season data.
+
+  return(file)
+
+}
diff --git a/man/cdcfluview.Rd b/man/cdcfluview.Rd
index 1164f2d..a05f5d0 100644
--- a/man/cdcfluview.Rd
+++ b/man/cdcfluview.Rd
@@ -16,4 +16,3 @@ provides functions to access the data provided by portal's underlying API.
 \author{
 Bob Rudis (bob@rud.is)
 }
-
diff --git a/man/census_regions.Rd b/man/census_regions.Rd
index 7b72052..b6cdbaa 100644
--- a/man/census_regions.Rd
+++ b/man/census_regions.Rd
@@ -25,4 +25,3 @@ Last updated 2015-08-09.
 \url{https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats12/images/CensusMap.png}
 }
 \keyword{datasets}
-
diff --git a/man/get_hosp_data.Rd b/man/get_hosp_data.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce68ecb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/get_hosp_data.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/get_hosp_data.R
+\name{get_hosp_data}
+\alias{get_hosp_data}
+\title{Retrieves influenza hospitalization statistics from the CDC}
+\usage{
+get_hosp_data(area = "flusurvnet", age_group = "overall",
+  years = as.numeric(format(Sys.Date(), "\%Y")) - 1)
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{area}{one of "\code{flusurvnet}", "\code{eip}", "\code{ihsp}", or two
+digit state abbreviation for an individual site. Exceptions are
+New York - Albany ("\code{nya}") and New York - Rochester
+("\code{nyr}")}
+
+\item{age_group}{a vector of age groups to pull data for. Possible values are:
+"\code{overall}", "\code{0-4y}", "\code{5-17y}, "\code{18-49y},
+"\code{50-64y}, "\code{65+y}".}
+
+\item{years}{a vector of years to retrieve data for (i.e. \code{2014} for CDC
+flu season 2014-2015). Default value is the current year and all
+\code{years} values should be >= \code{2009}}
+}
+\value{
+A single \code{data.frame}.
+}
+\description{
+Uses the data source from the
+\href{https://gis.cdc.gov/GRASP/Fluview/FluHospRates.html}{CDC FluView}
+and provides influenza hospitalization reporting data as a data frame.
+}
+\note{
+There is often a noticeable delay when making the API request to the CDC.
+      This is not due to a large download size, but the time it takes for their
+      servers to crunch the data. Wrap the function call in \code{httr::with_verbose}
+      if you would like to see what's going on.
+}
+\examples{
+\dontrun{
+# All of FluSurv-NET, 50-64 years old, 2010/11-2014/15 flu seasons
+flu <- get_hosp_data("flusurvnet", "50-64y", years=2010:2014)
+}
+}
diff --git a/man/get_mortality_surveillance_data.Rd b/man/get_mortality_surveillance_data.Rd
index 3c09933..bc54b6c 100644
--- a/man/get_mortality_surveillance_data.Rd
+++ b/man/get_mortality_surveillance_data.Rd
@@ -39,4 +39,3 @@ get_mortality_surveillance_data()
 \references{
 \url{https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/nchs.htm}
 }
-
diff --git a/man/get_state_data.Rd b/man/get_state_data.Rd
index fb8ee2a..8700a5e 100644
--- a/man/get_state_data.Rd
+++ b/man/get_state_data.Rd
@@ -38,4 +38,3 @@ get_state_data(2010:2014)
 httr::with_verbose(get_state_data(2009:2015))
 }
 }
-
diff --git a/man/get_weekly_flu_report.Rd b/man/get_weekly_flu_report.Rd
index ca0afab..efa44f7 100644
--- a/man/get_weekly_flu_report.Rd
+++ b/man/get_weekly_flu_report.Rd
@@ -29,4 +29,3 @@ get_weekly_flu_report()
 \references{
 \url{https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/flureport.xml}
 }
-
diff --git a/man/hhs_regions.Rd b/man/hhs_regions.Rd
index 49d1c90..2857a62 100644
--- a/man/hhs_regions.Rd
+++ b/man/hhs_regions.Rd
@@ -28,4 +28,3 @@ Last updated 2015-08-09.
 \url{https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/iea/regional-offices/index.html}
 }
 \keyword{datasets}
-