Hospitals and Health Systems: What They Are and How They Work takes a practical approach to explaining the history, development, and structure of modern health care institutions. Early chapters discuss the history of the hospital, Medicare and Medicaid, health insurance, as well as managed care and reimbursement to set the context for the modern hospital and health system network. The text moves on to explain how hospital mergers, reaction to cost escalation, and government and religious affiliations have led to the emergence of health systems, of which hospitals are an important part. Finally, it delves into operating today's modern hospital, including care structure and organization, direct patient care, staffing, physical facility, business activities (billing, accounting, health information management, electronic health records, etc.), and unions. Written for undergraduate courses in Hospital and/or Health Systems Administration, this short text can be easily used alongside a Health Management text or by anyone looking to understand how today's hospitals and health care system evolved and now operates. Key Features: - Contributions by experts from both professional practice and academia provide fresh insights and different perspectives - Each chapter offers key terms, learning objectives, and chapter summaries to enhance learning - End-of-chapter review and discussion questions encourage critical thinking