Glossary of Healthcare Terms

"The acquisition and consolidation of like organizations or business ventures under a single corporate management, in order to produce synergy, reduce redundancies and duplication of efforts or products, and achieve economies of scale while increasing market share."

Typically offer many of the same services provided by freestanding outpatient enterprises; have access to the market leverage maintained by the parent hospital organization, and are reimbursed under the OPPS.

Physicians who, traditionally, worked solely within the hospital setting. Also known as "inpatient physicians."

Institutions where the sick or injured are given medical or surgical care.

Includes staff/employee and provider employment agreements; trained and assembled workforce in place; policies and procedures; and, depth of management.

Services provided by a professional other than a physician that are integral and significantly entwined with care provided by the primary physician.

More expensive and formal practices, involving copious amounts of paperwork in exchange for protection from personal liability for the professional misdemeanors of other practitioners in the corporation.

Facilities that are independent both of an attending or consulting physician

Receive samples from a hospital or physician practice for diagnostic or pathologic testing; do not collect specimens from patients directly.

An IPA is an association of independent physicians who maintain their own private practices, but have joined together to enter into an agreement to treat the plan's enrollees.

A practice established by physicians who intend to maintain their independent practices but seek to offer their services to HMOs or other risk-sharing MCOs on a collective basis.

Legal entities of independent physicians that contract with health insurance companies to provide medical services.

An ACA requirement that U.S. citizens and legal residents maintain minimum amounts of health insurance coverage, i.e., "essential coverage."

"The science of keeping people safe at work and in their communities. Industrial hygienists (IHs) are professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of workers. Originally industrial hygienists worked primarily in factories and other industrial settings but as our society has changed, so has the definition of industrial hygiene. Today, IHs can be found in almost every type of work setting. Industrial hygienists also use the term OEHS or occupational and environmental health and safety to refer to the work that they do."

Casualty insurance for laborers that delineated between medical care for work-related injuries and worked-acquired diseases.