Often abbreviated GH or sometimes simply referred to as the General, it is an acute care hospital offering round-the-clock emergency and day-to-day medically necessary services. These hospitals, which used to be called district general hospitals, usually have 300-500 beds and offer a full range of services and facilities such as operating theatres. They also offer wellness and rehabilitative services, often in conjunction with local community health centers.
General hospitals have a legally constituted governing body, with full responsibility for conduct and efficient management of the hospital. The board establishes policy and, on the advice of a medical advisory board, appoints a medical staff and an administrator. The board also exercises control over expenditures and has the responsibility for maintaining professional standards.
In the United States, the term general hospital is commonly applied to a large, regional, free-standing public hospital licensed for medically necessary care under Medicare and Medicaid, as well as private health insurance companies. The governing body of a general hospital is an elected or appointed group, which acts as an agent for the state or local government and is responsible to the community and the health insurance company. It is generally required to report financial information to the health insurance company.
The building itself is a city landmark, one of Los Angeles’ great civic treasures. Like the Griffith Observatory and City Hall, it’s embedded in the cultural identity of L.A., framed in vistas from the 10 and 5 freeways and visible to travelers on LAX’s flight path. It is also the fictional setting of an iconic soap opera that has woven its way into the lives of millions of viewers.
For a while after Gloria Monty left as executive producer in 1987, General Hospital suffered from what critics call a period of decline. But things changed when Wendy Riche took over in 1992 and refocused the show on social issues. During her tenure, the show gained critical acclaim for its sensitive handling of topics such as AIDS and domestic violence.
Currently, the majority of the country’s acute care hospitals are general hospitals. Specialized hospitals, however, have emerged as a challenge to the long-held position of the general hospital. While these newer hospitals are able to offer specific procedures and treatments, they do not provide the broad range of patient care offered by general hospitals. As a result, general hospitals risk losing the ability to cross-subsidize specialized treatment and to manage patients who cannot afford high-end care.
In an effort to avoid this, the Department of Health has developed a new program that allows general hospitals to help people in need. The program’s goal is to create housing surrounded by all the other health, mental and substance abuse and rehabilitation services that these vulnerable people require. This will enable them to rebuild their lives. The program has been so successful that it is being replicated in other cities. The program’s development is part of a larger effort by the county to help homeless people get back on their feet.