Glossary of Terms

G

General Manager
Responsible for the overall management of a specific area within the company. May report to the President or a Regional VP.

Geriatric Programs
The medical study of the vital processes of an organism including the nature of disease, its causes, processes, development, and consequences of relation to old age. The director of geriatrics ensures the designation of the geriatric team within the hospital, supervises research, and is in charge of clinical quality control within the department. Often this person is in charge of the Skilled Nursing Facility.

Group Practice List
A customized list of group practices used for marketing to group practice decision makers or physicians within the practices; can be customized by size of group, cumulative volume of patients, number of prescribers, prescriber data (volume & type of prescriptions), group headquarters, links to IPAs, hospital affiliations and health systems.

H

Healthcare Market Research
The process of gathering and analyzing data about healthcare facilities including physician preferences, practices, recommendations for over-the-counter products, details about physician sub-specialties and procedures performed in office, data on usage of malpractice insurance, electronic medical records (EMR) software used in physician offices, identification of practice management software (PMS) used, categories of illnesses treated in offices, prescription volume of individual drugs at pharmacies, physician presribing data, physician office credit card acceptance data and much more.

Home Health Care
Supervises the services provided by health professionals in an individual's place of residence on a per-visit or per-hour basis to patients or clients who have or are at risk of an injury, an illness, or a disabling condition or who are terminally ill and require short-term or long-term intervention by health professionals.

Hospice Services
Oversees the care of terminally ill patients (those who will die in six months or less as certified by a physician). Provides medical relief of pain and psycho-social support services to patients and their families.

Hospital Database
A comprehensive collection of hospital data organized for convenient computer access. Data includes hospital name, address, phone number, department fax numbers, medical clinics owned by hospital, number of beds, parent company (health system), hospital decision makers' contact information (name, title, phone/fax, mailing address, email) and hospital website address.

Hospital Gift Shop
Oversees the operation of the gift shop, coordinates the purchasing of items in the gist shop.

Hospital List
A customized list of hospitals used for marketing to hospitals; can be customized by hospital type, geography, bed count or hospital decision maker titles.

Hospitalist
A Physician who specializes in the treatment of patients in the inpatient (hospital) setting. Generally, these physicians assume responsibility for coordinating all aspects of inpatient care, including diagnostic and subspecialty referrals. They replace the patient's primary care physician while the patient is hospitalized.

Housekeeping/Facilities/Environmental
Disposes of environmental and infectious waste. Supervises janitorial services. Cleans and sanitizes the linens. This director is sometimes also in charge of risk management and safety procedures for the nursing staff.

Human Resource/Personnel
An organizational unit providing for the planning and management of an organization's human resources, including recruiting, interviewing, and screening job applications, providing benefits and maintaining salary scales, providing orientation for new employees, maintaining a control system over positions of employment, handling labor relations and performing risk appraisal.

I

Infection Control
Responsible for identifying, controlling, and preventing the spread of hospital-acquired infections/viruses throughout the hospital. All patient care and patient care support departments and services are included in such a program. i.e. hand washing, protective clothing and isolation procedures.

Infectious Disease
Infectious diseases caused by a growth of pathogenic microorganisms/agents such as bacteria or viruses in the body. The Chief of Infectious Diseases is a physician and works directly with the Director of Infection Control to ensure control of diseases within the hospital.

In-Service Education/Staff Development
Develops the education program for the nursing staff according to standards set by the Director of Nursing.

Intensive/Coronary Care Unit
ICU: A special medical and nursing unit section of the hospital with extensive monitoring and treatment equipment allowing minute-to-minute observation and treatment of critically ill or injured patients. This person oversees care of patients who, because of shock, trauma, or life-threatening conditions, require more intensive medical and surgical care as well as comprehensive observation. CCU: A specialized cardiac unit reserved for observation and recovery of patient who have undergone an intensive cardiac procedure or who have critical cardiac problems.

Internal Medicine
Supervises the branch of medicine that deals with the long-term, comprehensive management of both common and complex medical illnesses of adolescent, adults, and the elderly.

Inventory Management
Responsible for the management of inventory levels, wholesaler/distributor relations and loss prevention programs.