Community Hospital

A community hospital is either purely a medical term or have some other meaning associated with it. When certain, it indicates a hospital which is generally accessible to the public and offers a more generalized or wide range of services. When used in conjunction with a specialty center, the term community hospital is intended to imply more services that are offered by the entire system than would be offered by a typical hospital. This type of hospital is sometimes known as a mixed-care facility, as it may provide some standard patient care, but also has the capacity for patients to be seen by specialists, dental and chiropractors, physicians and therapists. Many patients who come to this type of hospital want to be treated not only for their particular health problems but also for various other ailments.

In the United States, there are currently eleven community hospitals which serve a greater number of the low income and uninsured population than any other type of hospital. These hospitals have gone to great lengths to keep their services as accessible as possible to all, while providing state of the art patient care to those who need it the most. Many community hospitals also offer health insurance options to its patients. This serves a very important niche in the healthcare industry; being able to afford healthcare is increasingly difficult for many people, especially those who are just earning their first paycheck.

There are a few things which must be considered when choosing a community hospital. The first is its location relative to the patient’s home, as well as what the hospital offers in terms of patient care and other related services. Community hospitals may also be more expensive than a purely hospital-based hospital, so it is important that the family and patient both understand all of the available options and can decide upon the best hospital based on what is best for them.