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The majority of hospitals in the United Sates are “general” hospitals,
accommodating the full range of medical conditions for which most people
require treatment. But more than 1,000 hospitals specialize in a particular
disease or condition — such as oncology, rehabilitation, psychiatric illness,
or a particular type of patient, such as children.
Teaching hospitals, in addition to treating patients, train physicians and other
health professionals. They are almost always associated with a medical school,
and therefore give patients access to the latest technologies and highly skilled
specialists teaching at the medical school.
The quality of smaller community hospitals, however, is often as good as
teaching hospitals, especially for routine procedures and treatments.
Nonprofit hospitals usually operate under religious organizations. Proprietary,
or for-profit hospitals, are commercial establishments, generally owned by
individuals or corporations. Often, hospital corporations or non-profit health
systems own a chain of institutions in a geographical area, as well as skilled
nursing facilities and other health care delivery sites.
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