Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Hospitals and Health Systems: What They Are and How They Work is a comprehensive look at the inner workings of the modern health care organization. Divided into four parts, it begins with a survey of the evolution of the hospital from its beginnings up to the modern free-standing facility. The author then examines the entry of government into health care, reaction to cost escalation, and reimbursement system as well as the development and growth in importance of the health system. Readers will also understand how the free-standing, individual hospital facility operates in delivering care"-- Provided by publisher.