Definitions (in alpha order)

 

Ambulatory Care Services: A network of U-M Health Centers and offsite and onsite outpatient clinics and specialty care centers, including the A. Alfred Taubman Health Care Center.

Basic Science Departments: Six departments at the Medical School - Biological Chemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology, Human Genetics, Microbiology & Immunology, Pharmacology and Physiology - in which faculty conduct fundamental research. Members of the Basic Science faculty provide education for first- and second-year medical students, as well as for Ph.D. candidates in the biomedical sciences.

Center or Program: Describes a combination of clinical care, teaching and research endeavors across departments. (Examples: U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cardiovascular Center, Women's Health Program)

Clinical Department: Any of 19 Medical School clinical units that are grouped by similar specialties. (Examples: Department of Surgery, Department of Neurology)

Faculty Group Practice: The entity through which the Medical School faculty provides clinical services.

Health Center: A place where primary and/or specialty care services are delivered in the community. Health centers range in size from one physician to several dozen. (Examples: U-M Saline Health Center, U-M Canton Health Center, U-M East Medical Campus)

Health System (commonly referred to as UMHS): Includes the U-M Medical School and its Faculty Group Practice, three U-M hospitals, approximately 30 health centers, 120 outpatient clinics and the Michigan Health Corp.

Hospitals and Health Centers (commonly referred to as UMHHC): The operating units responsible for clinical care operations. There are three U-M Hospitals in Ann Arbor (University Hospital, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and Women's Hospital) and many U-M Health Centers in Washtenaw, Livingston, Wayne and Oakland counties.

Medical Center: The physical location of the U-M Medical School, the U-M Hospitals and the A. Alfred Taubman Health Care Center.

Medical School (commonly referred to as UMMS): The unit that houses the academic, research and clinical efforts of our faculty and students. It includes faculty, students and academic staff who take part in basic science and clinical research and educational endeavors. The faculty provides clinical services at U-M Hospitals, Health Centers and Clinics through the Faculty Group Practice.

Michigan Health Corp. (commonly referred to as MHC): The legal entity created to enable the Health System to enter into partnerships, acquisitions, joint ventures and other business activities. It is a separate corporation under the control of the Health System and "owned" by the Regents.

Section or Division: Smaller, specialized units of clinical departments. (Examples: Section of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Head and Neck Surgery Division, Department of Otolaryngology)

return to top

Usage

Health System should be used when referring to either or both the clinical and academic activities. This includes the care we provide through our Hospitals and Health Centers and the educational and research efforts of the Medical School. The Health System, as previously described, also includes MHC.

Most employees will use the Health System name, since the greater part of activity here has a combined clinical and academic emphasis. Using the Health System designation in any reference would be correct, but it is appropriate to be more specific when desired; for example, tying academic or research activities to the Medical School.

Health System also should be used when referring to current or potential affiliations with outside physician groups, hospitals and health systems or other entities.

U-M Hospitals and Health Centers refers specifically to the clinical facilities of the U-M Health System. U-M Medical School should be used when referring to academic or research activities, as well as the clinical practice of our physicians, which is organized through the Faculty Group Practice of the Medical School.

return to top

Examples

An employee in Mott Hospital works for the U-M Health System.

A person is a patient in the U-M Health System, but is treated at University Hospital (or other specific hospital).

There are many pain management specialists in the U-M Health System.

There are many cancer specialists in the U-M Health System, but they see patients or do their research at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The Canton Health Center is part of the U-M Health System.

A baby is born at Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital, a Hospitals and Health Centers facility, which is part of the U-M Health System.

John Smith, M.D., assistant professor of surgery at the U-M Medical School, is a heart surgeon in the U-M Health System.