A hospital is a medical institution staffed with physicians, nurses and allied health professionals that provides diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients suffering from diseases or injuries. It is also a center for research and education.
Depending on the type of care provided, hospitals may be classified as general, children’s or specialty hospitals. There are also government, military and private hospitals. Some hospitals are recognized for their competency in specific diseases or conditions, such as the American College of Cardiology’s chest pain centers or IBM/Watson’s top-performing cancer centers.
In the Middle Ages, hospitals often had different functions than their modern counterparts, serving as almshouses for poor citizens and as hostels for pilgrims. Their name derived from the Latin word hospitium, meaning “hospitality”.
Currently, most hospitals are privately owned and operated by individuals, corporations or foundations, while some are government-owned and operated. They are staffed by professional doctors, nurses and allied health practitioners, as well as support staff such as janitorial, administrative, food service, security, and plant operations departments. Some hospitals are part of a network of healthcare facilities, allowing them to share resources and provide more comprehensive services. Hospitals are vital to health systems because they offer a setting for patient care coordination, integration and referrals. In addition, they are instrumental in developing health system capacity and serve as a crucial base for clinical research.