The Health Care Industry: A Primer for Board Members

Health care industry board members are called upon to make decisions that have an enormous effect on their organizations, medical staffs, employees, and their communities. To be effective, they must understand context; the health care industry’s structure and dynamics The Health Care Industry offers board members a comprehensive resource that clearly explains how health services are organized, financed, and provided. This much-needed resource contains a wealth of information and Explains board responsibilities Describes organizations that provide health services such as ambulatory care facilities, physician practices, hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, health systems and public health agencies Clarifies how money moves through the system: insurance, health plans, Medicare, Medicaid and HMOs. Describes the characteristics and training of health professionals including physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, chiropractors, and physician s assistants Provides a glossary of health care terms, concepts, and acronyms