Departments - Hospital as Social Organization

Departments:

Hospitals vary widely in the services they offer and therefore, in the departments (or "wards") they have. Each is usually headed by a Chief Physician. They may have acute services such as an emergency department or specialist trauma centre, burn unit, surgery, or urgent care. These may then be backed up by more specialist units such as:

·              Emergency department

·              Cardiology

·              Intensive care unit

·              Pediatric intensive care unit

·              Neonatal intensive care unit

·              Cardiovascular intensive care unit

·              Neurology

·              Oncology

·              Obstetrics and gynecology

Some hospitals will have outpatient departments and some will have chronic treatment units such as behavioral health services, dentistry, dermatology, psychiatric ward, rehabilitation services, and physical therapy. Common support units include a dispensary or pharmacy, pathology, and radiology, and on the non‐medical side, there often are medical records departments, release of information departments, Information Management, Clinical Engineering, Facilities Management, Dining Services, and Security departments.