ABSTRACT
The healthcare delivery system is composed of an array of organizations and professionals, each of whom brings unique value to the process and the ultimate outcome of medical care. When people think of healthcare providers, it is primarily hospitals and doctors who come to mind. Hospitals are typically categorized by the number of beds they are licensed to operate and, in a secondary measure, by the number of beds they have in operation, termed “staffed beds”. Medical care is provided at different levels of medical specialty, depending on the type, severity, and complexity of a patient’s injury or illness. These levels of care are identified by the categories of primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care. Healthcare providers are further categorized based on the types and needs of the patients they are serving. These include ambulatory care centers, sub-acute care, long-term care facilities, rehabilitative and other facilities and services.
