What Is a Hospital?

A hospital is a place that people go to get help when they are sick or injured. It is a place where doctors and nurses are trained to help patients recover from their illnesses. A hospital has a wide variety of equipment and tools that are used to diagnose and treat different health problems. Many hospitals are nonprofit institutions, but some are owned by private companies and operated for financial gain. Some hospitals are part of a larger system that has several locations and provides care to a large geographic area.

A patient can be admitted to a hospital for an overnight stay only on the recommendation of a physician with admitting privileges at that institution. The hospital’s admission department does the necessary paperwork and finds out if the patient has health insurance. A patient who is in the hospital for an extended time may be placed in a room with a private bathroom or a shared room that has a bed and other amenities, such as a television and a refrigerator. A nurse is available to attend to a patient around the clock. The hospital has a medical records department where all of the patient’s information is filed. Hospitals also have a housekeeping and maintenance departments responsible for keeping the hospital clean and in working order.

The hospital has a pharmacy where prescriptions can be filled. A doctor will visit a patient at least once a day to assess the patient’s condition and write orders for treatment. Nurses, laboratory technicians, physical therapists and dieticians will regularly visit the patient as well. Depending on the patient’s illness, the hospital may have a specialized unit that will provide more in-depth and specialized care.

Some hospitals have an operating room where surgical procedures are performed. Other hospitals have delivery rooms where women will give birth. These rooms can be quite large and state-of-the-art or they may be more homelike. Some hospitals allow a woman to have her husband or a friend present in the delivery room to support her during this special moment.

Many hospitals have a cancer center, where patients with various types of cancer can receive treatment. There are also centers for heart, kidney and lung diseases in addition to other specialty areas.

Some hospitals have an ER (emergency room), where the staff is trained to treat severe injuries and illnesses. These facilities have life-saving equipment, such as defibrillators, and are staffed with physicians and nurses who are able to handle any emergency situation. A hospital may have a radiology department that uses imaging technology, such as X-rays and CT scans, to diagnose injuries and disease. There are also imaging centers that use these same technologies, but are located in private buildings. These centers are usually less crowded than the busy ERs. Many hospitals have outpatient facilities, where patients can receive routine treatments for chronic health conditions without staying in the hospital. This is a great convenience for patients and their families.

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