Click below to learn more about the different types of healthcare providers.

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Public Health

Public health pertains to the “prevention and education of the general public to help improve the overall health and reduce risks to a population, as opposed to the provision of individual medical treatment to one Patient at a time” (Santiago, 2019). In the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the nation’s leading agency for public health. It partners with other international organizations to fulfill its mission of protecting America from health, safety and security threats both foreign and in the U.S. (About CDC 24-7, 2019)

Types of Healthcare Providers

The healthcare sector in the United States consists of an array of clinicians, hospitals and other health care facilities, insurance plans, and purchasers of health care services, all operating in various configurations of groups, networks, and independent practices. Some are based in the public sector; others operate in the private sector as either for-profit or not-for-profit entities. The healthcare sector also includes regulators, some voluntary, and other governmental. (Committee on Assuring the Health of the Public in the 21st Century, 2003)

Healthcare Providers range from generalists to Providers who specialize in certain areas of the body or disease. Any category of medicine or care, such as cancer or anesthesia, can have a specialist. Nurses also can specialize in certain areas of medical care. (A.D.A.M., Inc., 1197-2019)

Doctors, Residents, Interns, and Attendings

If you are being treated in a hospital you may be confused by the wide variety of different titles that are used for physicians. This quick guide should help clarify the roles and education levels of the different students and physicians you may see during a hospitalization. In a large teaching facility, you may see individuals ranging from medical students who are not licensed physicians, physicians in training, and others who are fully trained and supervising other physicians.
Medical School EducationIn the United States, an individual must complete high school and obtain a bachelor’s degree prior to beginning medical school. In order to apply to medical school, the student must complete a bachelor’s degree and coursework in biology, physics, and chemistry. In some cases, a school may combine the bachelor’s program with the medical school program, but theseprograms are less common than the traditional bachelor’s degree followed by medical school program of study.
A teaching facility is traditionally a hospital that offers training to doctors after they complete medical school. University-based hospitals are typically teaching facilities, but smaller hospitals and hospitals not affiliated with a school may also be teaching facilities.
Physician vs. DoctorA physician is a medical doctor, either an M.D. or D.O., who has completed graduate training to provide health care. A physician may be referred to as a doctor. However, not all doctors are physicians. For example, an individual with a PhD, such as a doctoral degree in economics, is referred to as a doctor. So while all physicians are doctors, not all doctors are physicians.
Does It Make a Difference if My Doctor is a DO or MD?
Medical StudentsIndividuals who are in medical school are referred to as medical students. They are not referred to as a doctor or physician until they graduate from medical school. Once they graduate, they are called a physician even though their training is not complete and they will continue to learn from experienced physicians for several years before practicing independently.
InternsAfter completing medical school, the doctor completes their first year of post-medical school training. This year is referred to as the intern year. The intern does not have the right to practice unsupervised medicine and must practice within the confines of the training program in which they are enrolled.

ResidentsResidency follows the intern year. At this point, when the internship year has been completed and a third level exam has been passed, the physician may practice as a general practitioner. While practicing independently is possible, the vast majority of physicians choose to pursue a residency for further training.
Residency can range from an additional two years of education to an additional seven years of training, depending on the specialty. For example, a family practice residency would be two years of residency while a surgery residency may last five, seven, or more years.
FellowsA fellow is a physician who has completed their residency and elects to complete further training in a specialty. The fellow is a fully credentialed physician who chooses to pursue additional training, the fellowship is optional and is not required to practice medicine, but is necessary for training in a subspecialty.
To be clear, after a general surgery residency a physician is fully qualified to perform general surgery independently. The fellowship is necessary for more specific training, such as pediatric neurosurgery.For example, a cardiothoracic surgeon would complete an intern year and a residency in general surgery. After residency, they would complete a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery, which would provide more specific training in heart and lung procedures.
An attending physician has completed their training and is practicing independently in their chosen specialty. This term is typically used at teaching facilities to differentiate fully credentialed senior-level physicians from junior physicians who are still completing their higher education. In the hierarchy of physicians, the attending is at the top under only the physicians who run the hospital itself, while the medical student is at the bottom.

Comprehension check: What is the difference between a physician and a doctor? Post your response here.

Attendings
Attendings may also be known as staff physicians or a rendering doctor and may be trained as an MD or a DO.
What an Attending Physician Does
An attending is considered an expert in their field of medicine or surgery. These physicians are typically working at a facility that provides education to physicians and may play an active role in that education. An attending typically has their own practice in their specialty that may include teaching residents and fellows. An attending may also oversee the practice and education of medical students.
For example, a surgical attending performs surgery as part of their job. As an attending, they may have interns, residents, or fellows in the operating room with them, educating them on how to perform surgery. They may also provide lecture style education, and often include physicians in training when they round on Patients, which is when physicians check on their Patients daily.
Attendings may have additional titles that indicate their role in the education of physicians. They may have the title of Professor, Associate Professor or could potentially be a Dean at a medical school. These titles may vary from institution to institution and vary based on the role the physician takes in the academic portion of medicine, and how much of their work is devoted to education rather than independent practice.

Types of Healthcare Facilities

Ambulatory Surgical Centers

Ambulatory surgical centers, also called outpatient surgical facilities, allow Patients to receive certain surgical procedures outside a hospital environment. These environments often offer surgeries at a lower cost than hospitals while also reducing the risk of exposure to infection—since Patients are there for surgery, not to recover from sickness and disease.

Birth Centers

A birth center is a healthcare facility for childbirth that focuses on the midwifery model, according to the American Association of Birth Centers. They aim to create a birth environment that feels more comfortable to the mother and allows for a cost-effective, family-inclusive birth.

Blood Banks

Blood banks allow donors to donate blood and platelets while also storing and sorting blood into components that can be used most effectively by Patients.

Clinics and Medical Officers

There are many healthcare facilities that fit that definition across a wide variety of treatment specialties. Many people go to a clinic for routine doctor’s appointments and checkups. These healthcare facilities can be a physician’s private practice, a group practice setting or a corporately owned clinic that may be connected to a larger healthcare system or hospital. The goal of these clinics is to give people preventative care and important diagnoses with as much convenience as possible.

Diabetes Educational Centers

Diabetes education centers typically offer classes, education, support groups and a variety of resources to help Patients manage their diabetes and live as complication-free as possible.

Dialysis Centers

This is where Patients with kidney disease receive their regular dialysis treatments.

Hospice Homes

Specific healthcare facilities that specialize in end-of-life care. Hospice care is a model that provides not only medical support, but also emotional and even spiritual support for Patients and their families. Though Patients can receive hospice care at home, if their medical needs are significant, they might live in a nursing home with hospice care, or a specified hospice home.

Hospitals

A hospital’s goal is to save lives. Hospitals typically have a wide range of units that can be loosely broken into intensive care and non-intensive care units.

Imaging and Radiology Centers

These facilities, much like their hospital counterparts, offer diagnostic imaging services to Patients. Diagnostic imaging includes CT scans, ultrasounds, X-rays, MRIs and more. While hospitals and even clinics have imaging centers, outpatient facilities help keep costs lower and allow more convenient scheduling for Patients.

Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Centers

Mental health treatment facilities exist as a general institution for any mental health issue and are sometimes specialized. Addiction treatment centers typically deal with drug and alcohol addictions, as well as problematic behavioral addictions like gambling, work, shopping or the internet.

Nursing Homes

Nursing homes offer a living situation for Patients whose medical needs aren’t severe enough for hospitalization, but are too serious to manage at home. Some nursing homes offer services for heavier medical needs, such as speech and occupational therapy. Other nursing homes try to create a homier atmosphere, and might operate like an apartment complex with medical staff on hand.

Orthopedic and Other Rehabilitation Centers

Orthopedic centers deal in everything from athletic injuries to therapy for Patients with disabilities. They typically offer evaluation and diagnosis of the problem, as well as prevention, treatment and rehabilitation work involving bone, tendon, ligament, muscle and joint conditions. These healthcare facilities might be called outpatient physical therapy centers.

Urgent Care

Urgent care (UR) facilities exist for on-demand healthcare needs that aren’t severe enough for the emergency room, but are too severe or concerning to wait for a scheduled appointment at the doctor’s office. Urgent care is a common choice when children get sick, for example, and need an immediate diagnosis or relief from symptoms.

Telehealth

Many people lack easy access to physicians and specialty clinics. Whether through their physical location, physical ability, living situation or transportation choices, many Patients have a hard time getting to a medical practitioner face to face. Telehealth, telemedicine and remote healthcare can represent a digital type of healthcare facility. It is the use of electronic communication technology to facilitate long-distance health care and health education. This might look like live video conferencing between Patient and physician or a Patient with an illness might wear a device to allow remote monitoring from their medical team.