A hospital is a healthcare facility that provides round-the-clock medical care and attention to patients with acute or chronic illnesses or injuries. They are staffed by physicians and nurses, and equipped with the latest medical technology to diagnose and treat illness and injury. In addition to emergency services, hospitals often provide diagnostic testing, surgery, labor and delivery services, and rehabilitation programs. Some patients receive treatment and then leave (“outpatients”), while others stay overnight or for several days or weeks (called “admitted patients”). Hospitals can be public, private, or nonprofit. Many are located in urban areas, but there are also rural hospitals.
In the past, hospitals were often established and run by religious orders or charities. Today, they are typically owned by the government and funded from a variety of sources, including charges for treatments and check-ups, health insurance payments, donations from wealthy individuals or charitable groups, and money from the local community. A small number of hospitals are still run by religious groups, but these are increasingly being replaced by secular organizations.
There are also some specialized hospitals, such as children’s or cancer centers, that focus on particular diseases or conditions. These hospitals often have very high standards of care and research, and are sometimes ranked highly in international comparisons.
The earliest hospitals were often constructed and run by religious groups, and in fact the word hospital is derived from the Latin for “house of hospitality.” The first medical school was probably attached to a hospital, and St. Basil the Great founded one in Cappadocia around 370 CE, where he placed the care of the sick above all other Christian duties.
A typical hospital is divided into a number of clinical departments, each with its own specialty and headed by a chief of that department. The nursing department, for example, is responsible for the administration of professional nursing practice and research. Other departments include anesthesia, medicine, surgery, radiology, and pathology. Many large hospitals also have a variety of diagnostic clinics, such as dermatology and orthopedics, where people can be treated for their chronic illnesses without having to be admitted to the hospital.
If you are interested in a career in hospital management, start by identifying the type of position that interests you and then researching the education and licensing requirements for that role. You can then gain relevant experience through volunteer work or internships, and build capabilities in administrative tasks such as electronic records management, insurance practices, and patient-centered care protocols. For managerial positions, employers are looking for candidates with strong communication skills, critical thinking abilities, and the ability to collaborate across departments.