PILLARS OF HEALTHCARE BUSINESS: 7 IMPORTANT DEPARTMENTS IN A HOSPITAL

Every individual has visited the hospital at least one time in their life. It can be because of medical advice, routine checkup, or any treatment.

Hospitals are generally institutions designed to provide medical facilities and services to patients by professional staff and the latest equipment. Since hospitals offer a range of services to patients, it consists of various departments.

Have you ever wondered how many departments are in the hospital and what roles do they play? Or how the hospitals work in an orderly and systematic manner, and how many staff is in each unit?

The hospital structure is becoming complex with time, as there is an increase in diagnostic capabilities and treatments. Due to this, hospitals require well-trained personnel and facilities.

 However, the structure of each hospital may vary from one another. There are a few essential departments in every hospital setting; below is the list of these departments:

1.FINANCE DEPARTMENT

None of the hospitals can function well without a proper financial background. Hence, to look after the financial considerations of a hospital, a separate department is essential.

Many may think that collecting the fees and bill payments are the only responsibility of this department. However, with the growing sector of healthcare, the finance department has also experienced many changes.

 A finance department’s primary responsibilities include preparing a budget, forming financial frameworks for the future, and assigning resources to different hospital units. Today, they perform bookkeeping, enter into a negotiation with other parties for services, and effectively apply financial management skills to reduce risks.

Health professionals who wish to become future leaders can enroll in an online MBA program to further enhance their strategic planning and financing skills.

2. OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT (OPD)

It is one of the most common and running departments in hospitals these days. The plus point of having an OPD within the premises is that it reduces the expenses of people.

Patients don’t feel the need to admit themselves to hospitals since medical staff can diagnose and provide treatments as soon as possible. It consists of different consultation service units and treatment centers that operate during the regular hours. People can check-in and consult medical practitioners for dental problems, viral diseases, therapy issues, skin disorders, or medications.

 Doctors can also deal with referred cases from other hospitals. A clinic, known by the polyclinic name, offers specialized and general treatment to the patients.

Whereas for a walk-in clinic, patients do not have to make any prior appointments. They can come at any time during scheduled hours and get their treatment done.

3. ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT

The administrative department is responsible for everyday operations at the hospital. The department has no direct connection with patients; it focuses on providing adequate health care services.

 The administrative department staff consists of executive officers, HR directors, and administrators. The administration department’s core function is to recruit or terminate employees, promote personnel, health and training programs, and incentive plans. The department’s primary goal is to ensure the patient’s proper treatment and ensure employee satisfaction.

Earning an Online Master of Health Administration allows professionals to handle challenges in clinical and non-clinical settings. These professionals utilize the latest technologies to build an efficient hospital environment.

4. INPATIENT WARDS

It is the crux of a hospital. Unlike OPDs, inpatient wards admit the patients for observance during the night or at least a day.

During this time, professionals study the medical history of patients while they are under high observation. The severity of a patient’s illness defines the duration of their stay in the hospital. Below are some of the wards in inpatient units:

• Emergency unit: It is the department that deals with severe medical cases that can lead to death.

• Cardiology ward: As the name implies, this unit copes with cardiac arrest or other heart problems.

• Neurology ward: The ward consists of patients suffering from nervous system problems. Doctors diagnose spinal cord or brain problems and provide the necessary treatment.

5. PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Almost all hospitals consist of a pathology department to conduct a laboratory test for all the patients. The pathology department staff includes pathologists, laboratory technicians, clinical laboratory assistants, cytotechnologists, medical technologists, and laboratory managers.

The pathology department is mainly responsible for collecting blood and fluid body samples of patients, performing diagnoses and generating reports. The pathology department encompasses various laboratories; a few of them are:

• Bacteriology: It identifies and studies different types of bacteria that cause infectious diseases to humans.

• Histopathology: It examines the structures and functions of various tissues and cells under the microscope.

• Hematology: It performs body fluid testing, blood counts, studies coagulation time, etc.

6. PHARMACY DEPARTMENT

A hospital is incomplete without the pharmacy department. Here, pharmacists and technicians of pharmacies supply the drugs needed for the hospital. This department caters to the patients’ medicines and provides the necessary medications required by other various departments.

Pharmacists prepare a list of drugs for the doctors as a guideline. They also play a vital role in improving the health of a patient. Their services include providing healthy lifestyle suggestions and offering medicines that are less addictive. Some of the hospital pharmacies also provide medical checks to check sugar levels and blood pressure.

7. NURSING

The nursing department’s primary purpose is to offer regular and safe nursing care and education through its staff. Nurses perform initial assessments of the patients, educate them about their health, and provide surgical operations assistance.

The nursing staff consists of a nursing supervisor, nursing superintendent, assistant, and staff nurses. They ensure proper supplies, drugs, and necessities are made available to the patients.

Also, nurses make sure their unit is observing asepsis at all times. The educational sector is responsible for preparing students to become professional nurses with relevant curriculum and practical training. All nurses need to have a permit to work in hospital settings.

CONCLUSION

Researches have revealed that a patient’s choice of hospital is dependent on various factors. These may include location, fees, services, staff behavior, hospital environment, and facilities.

Breaking down the hospital into different departments is necessary. However, having coordination between these departments is more than essential since all of these units have their own competitive needs. Also, supervising each of these departments is crucial to determine the fields of improvement.