Page 478 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

456 HEALTH SYSTEM APPLICATIONS

possible. Many hospitals have expanded into long-term and home health-care serv-
ices, providing a wide range of care for the communities they serve.
2 Nursing and residential care facilities—Nursing care facilities provide inpatient
nursing, rehabilitation, and health-related personal care to those who need contin-
uous nursing care, but do not require hospital services. Nursing aides provide the
vast majority of direct care. Other facilities, such as convalescent homes, help
patients who need less assistance. Residential-care facilities provide around-the-
clock social and personal care to children, the elderly, and others who have limited
ability to care for themselves. Workers care for residents of assisted-living facili-
ties, alcohol- and drug-rehabilitation centers, group homes, and halfway houses.
Nursing and medical care, however, are not the main functions of establishments
providing residential care, as they are in nursing-care facilities.
3 Offices of physicians—About 37 percent of all health-care establishments fall into
this industry segment. Physicians and surgeons practice privately or in groups of
practitioners who have the same or different specialties. Many physicians and sur-
geons prefer to join group practices because they afford backup coverage, reduce
overhead expenses, and facilitate consultation with peers. Physicians and surgeons
are increasingly working as salaried employees of group medical practices, clinics,
or integrated health systems.
4 Offices of dentists—About one out of every five health-care establishments is a den-
tist’s office. Most employ only a few workers, who provide preventative, cosmetic,
or emergency care. Some offices specialize in a single field of dentistry such as
orthodontics or periodontics.
5 Home health-care services—Skilled nursing or medical care is sometimes provided in
the home, under a physician’s supervision. Home health-care services are provided
mainly to the elderly. The development of in-home medical technologies, substantial
cost savings, and patients’preference for care in the home have helped change this once
small segment of the industry into one of the fastest growing parts of the economy.
6 Offices of other health practitioners—This segment of the industry includes the
offices of chiropractors, optometrists, podiatrists, occupational and physical thera-
pists, psychologists, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, dietitians, and
other health practitioners. Demand for the services of this segment is related to the
ability of patients to pay, either directly or through health insurance. Hospitals and
nursing facilities may contract out for these services. This segment also includes the
offices of practitioners of alternative medicine, such as acupuncturists, homeopaths,
hypnotherapists, and naturopaths.
7 Outpatient-care centers—The diverse establishments in this group include kidney
dialysis centers, outpatient-mental-health and substance-abuse centers, health-
maintenance organization medical centers, and freestanding ambulatory surgical
and emergency centers.
8 Other ambulatory health-care services—This relatively small industry segment
includes ambulance and helicopter transport services, blood and organ banks, and
other ambulatory health-care services, such as pacemaker-monitoring services and
smoking-cessation programs.