Philippine Hospital Classifications (DOH AO 2012-0012)

Level 1

Basic Clinical Units

Minor Operating Room

Level 1 Laboratory

LEVEL 2

Level 1 + Dedicated ICU

NICU & HRPU

Level 2 Laboratory

LEVEL 3

Level 2 + Teaching/Residency

Level 3 Lab / Blood Bank

Dialysis, CT Scan, MRI

Level 1 general hospital: feature/ service

Clinical services: Medicine, Pediatrics, OB-GYN, Surgery

Operating facility: Minor Operating Room (OR)

Intensive Care Unit: None (Isolation room only)

Emergency & Diagnostics: X-ray, Level 1 Clinical Lab

Academic status: Non-teaching

Level 2 general hospital: feature/ service

Clinical services: All Level 1 + Specialty Board-certified consultants

Operating facility: Major Operating Room & Recovery Room

Intensive Care Unit: Dedicated ICU, High-Risk Pregnancy Unit (HRPU), NICU

Emergency & Diagnostics: Level 2 Clinical Lab, Respiratory Therapy

Academic status: Non-teaching or Training

Level 3 General Hospital

Clinical services: All Level 2 + Clinical Subspecialties (e.g., Cardiology, Oncology)

Operating facility: Specialized OR (e.g., Open Heart, Neurosurgery)

Intensive Care Unit: Subspecialty ICUs (PICU, CCU, Neuro-ICU)

Emergency & Diagnostics: Level 3 Clinical Lab, Blood Bank, CT Scan, MRI, Dialysis Unit

Academic status: Teaching / Training Hospital with accredited residency programs

General Hospital

Provides medical and surgical care for all types of diseases and injuries (e.g., Philippine General Hospital).

Specialty Hospital

Specializes in particular therapeutic areas or patient populations

_{^{Philippine Heart Center (PHC), National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP), National Center for Mental Health (NCMH), National Children's Hospital (NCH)}}

Government vs. Private

Government hospitals are created by law and funded publicly (National/DOH-retained, LGU, Military);

Private hospitals are funded via private ownership or corporations.

HOSPITAL DIRECTOR / CEO

MEDICAL STAFF: Physicians, Surgery, Anesthesia

NURSING: Wards, Operating room, Emergency room

ANCILLARY: Pharmacy, Laboratory, Radiology

ADMINISTRATIVE: Finance/ Billing, HR/ Maintenance, Dietary/ Materials

Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (PTC)

The primary policy-making body for drug selection and use in the hospital.

Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (PTC): Composition

Physicians, Pharmacists (acts as Secretary), Nurses, Hospital Administration.

Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee (PTC): Core duty

Maintains and updates the Hospital Formulary System.

Intravenous Additive Services (IVAS)

Centralized preparation of sterile IV admixtures and Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) using Laminar Airflow Workbenches (LAFW)

Drug Information Center (DIC)

Managed by clinical pharmacists to provide unbiased, evidence-based drug information to healthcare staff.

Code Blue: emergency Condition, Core Action / Primary Team

Emergency Condition: Cardiac Arrest / Medical Emergency

Core Action / Primary Team: Resuscitation/Crash Cart Team deploys immediately.

Code Pink / Amber: emergency Condition, Core Action / Primary Team

Emergency Condition: Infant / Child Abduction

Core Action / Primary Team: Lock down all exits, stairwells, and perimeter doors.

Code Black: emergency Condition, Core Action / Primary Team

Emergency Condition: Bomb Threat / Suspected Explosive

Core Action / Primary Team: Search visually without touching suspicious items; notify security.

Code Orange: emergency Condition, Core Action / Primary Team

Emergency Condition: Hazardous Material (Hazmat) Spill

Core Action / Primary Team: Evacuate area; deployment of decontamination team.

Code Yellow: emergency Condition, Core Action / Primary Team

Emergency Condition: External Disaster / Mass Casualty

Core Action / Primary Team: Prepare ER, Triage area, and Pharmacy buffer stock for high patient volume.

Code Violet / Grey: emergency Condition, Core Action / Primary Team

Emergency Condition: Combative / Violent Person

Core Action / Primary Team: Security intervention (Violet = weapon present; Grey = physical threat, no weapon)

Code Brown: emergency Condition, Core Action / Primary Team

Emergency Condition: Utility Failure / Power Outage

Core Action / Primary Team: Activate backup generators and emergency systems.

ICU Rule

If a board scenario describes a hospital establishing a dedicated ICU and Level 2 Clinical Laboratory, it is moving from Level 1 to Level 2.

Blood Bank Rule

Full Blood Bank capability and accredited Residency Training Programs are strict requirements for Level 3 General Hospitals

PTC Leadership

On the board exam, remember that the Pharmacist acts as the Secretary of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee, while a Physician serves as the Chairman.

Fire Safety Protocols: R.A.C.E

Rescue patients → Alarm/Announce → Contain fire (close doors) → Extinguish/Evacuate.

Fire Safety Protocols: P.A.S.S

Pull pin → Aim at base → Squeeze handle → Sweep side-to-side.