Health care systems and people

Hippocrates

Father of Medicine; emphasized observation and note-taking.

René Laënnec

Invented the stethoscope; first stethoscope was made of wood.

Edward Jenner

Developed a vaccination method against smallpox; helped begin modern vaccination.

Louis Pasteur

Father of Microbiology; proved microorganisms cause disease; developed pasteurization.

Joseph Lister

Created the antiseptic process; used carbonic acid to kill microorganisms and prevent infection.

Wilhelm Roentgen

Discovered X-rays; first X-ray was of his wife's hand.

Alexander Fleming

Discovered penicillin.

Florence Nightingale

Mother of Nursing; helped establish modern nursing.

Clara Barton

Angel of the Battlefield; founder of the Red Cross.

Lillian Wald

Founder of modern home health nursing; founded Henry Street Settlement.

Elizabeth Blackwell

First woman to earn a medical degree in the United States.

William Harvey

Described pulmonary and systemic blood circulation.

Marie Curie

Discovered polonium and radium; coined 'radioactivity'; first woman Nobel Prize winner.

Elizabeth Garrett Anderson

Pioneer modern woman doctor; use your class's exact wording for her 'first woman' distinction.

Ignaz Semmelweis

Pioneer of antiseptic hand hygiene; 'savior of mothers.'

Christiaan Barnard

Performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant.

General hospital

Does not specialize in one treatment; provides a wide range of diagnostic, medical, surgical, and emergency care.

Specialty hospital

Focuses on persistent, recurring, or complex conditions; may require long-term inpatient care.

Convalescent care

Usually geriatric/nursing-home or long-term care; helps with nursing needs and ADLs.

Extended care facility

Cares for people of any age who need help with ADLs or medical needs.

Ambulatory care

Outpatient care that does not require an overnight stay.

Rehabilitation center

Provides therapies to restore lost function, such as physical and occupational therapy.

School health

Healthcare services provided in educational institutions.

HMO

Health Maintenance Organization; a type of managed care organization.

ECP

Essential Community Provider; serves mainly low-income and medically underserved people.

Home health care agency

Provides healthcare in the patient's home when hospitalization is not needed.

Telehealth

Provides medical services using electronic information and telecommunications.

Hospice

End-of-life care for patients expected to live six months or less.

WHO

World Health Organization; focuses on world health problems and health information.

VA

Veterans Administration hospitals; federally supported care for veterans.

USPHS

U.S. Public Health Service; protects, promotes, and advances national health and safety.

CDC

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; monitors and prevents disease outbreaks.

FDA

Food and Drug Administration; oversees safety of foods, drugs, cosmetics, biological products, and medical devices.

AHRQ

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; improves healthcare quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness.

USDHHS

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; protects Americans' health and provides human services.

NIH

National Institutes of Health; conducts and supports medical research.

Joint Commission (JCAHO)

Accredits healthcare organizations and monitors compliance with standards.

Managed care

Healthcare system where patients use certain providers and treatment costs are monitored.

Preventive care

Care that helps prevent illness; examples include physicals, immunizations, screenings, and wellness education.

Primary care

General healthcare; providers may include family physicians, internists, NPs, and PAs.

Specialty care

Care from a provider trained in one specific area.

Emergency care

Care for life-threatening conditions that require hospitalization.

Urgent care

Prompt treatment for non-emergency conditions.

Ambulatory vs. inpatient care

Ambulatory = outpatient/no overnight stay; inpatient = admitted and stays in a healthcare facility.

Ancient World

Greeks/Romans connected medicine with fitness; Hippocrates emphasized observation; Romans developed drainage and public hospitals; Egyptians kept early accurate health records.

Dark Ages (AD 400-800)

Medical science largely stopped; major epidemics occurred.

Middle Ages (AD 800-1400)

Arab Empire advanced pharmacology and established the first medical schools.

Renaissance

Rebirth of medical science; human dissection and the printing press advanced medical knowledge.

16th-17th centuries

Leonardo da Vinci studied anatomy; William Harvey described circulation.

18th century

Anesthesia, microscope, digestive-system knowledge, white-blood-cell knowledge, and apothecaries.

19th century

Industrial Revolution; major medical progress, nurse training, and infection control.

20th century

Rapid healthcare growth; X-rays, medicines, vaccines, DNA research, open-heart surgery, and computers.

Organizational chart

Shows key management and supervisory positions in a healthcare organization.

Chain of command

Structure that helps communication and problem-solving by showing who reports to whom.

Healthcare regulatory agencies

Set healthcare standards and monitor compliance with healthcare laws.

State psychiatric hospitals

Serve people with mental illness.

State university medical centers

Train healthcare workers, provide medical care, and conduct medical research.

Local Public Health Departments

Provide community services such as diseas reporting, health education, sanitation, and maternal/child health.