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Glossary

Acronyms, Abbrevs., Glossary Items
A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T V W
A
AAA Area Agency on Aging: Local councils set up to conduct planning and review of aging services. Usually operated by a county or Council of Government (COG) - see COG entry below.
ACSC Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions
AFDC Aid to Families with Dependent Children
AFS Adult and Family Services: Division of the Oregon Department of Human Resources.
AHEC Area Health Education Center
AHEC-SW Area Health Education Center-Southwest
AMA American Medical Association
ANA American Nurses Association
ANP Adult Nurse Practitioner
B
BBA Balanced Budget Act of 1997
BHCDA Bureau of Health Care Delivery and Assistance: See BPHC.
Block Grant Type of grant that confers responsibility for Federal programs to individual states which then have substantial discretion as to the use of the Federal grant dollars. Under the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Acto of 1981 (P.L. 97-35), seven block grant programs were established, including a primary care block grant. At the option of each state, the state may apply for a primary care block grant which includes the Community Health Center and the Primary Care Research and Demonstration programs.
BME Board of Medical Examiners
BPHC Bureau of Primary Health Care: (Bureau of Health Care Delivery and Assistance) The Federal government bureau within the Health Resources and Services Administration, Public Health Service, DHHS responsible for administering several of the community health programs of the former Bureau of Community Health Services, including the Community Health Center program, the Migrant Health Program, and the Maternal and Child Health Program. BHCDA Also administers the National Health Service Corps and Health Services Scholarships programs.
C
CAH Critical Access Hospital
CCCHD Columbia County Citizens for Human Dignity
CEAHEC Cascades East Area Health Education Center
CHC Community Health Center: A Federally funded (Section 330 of the Public Health Services Act) primary care clinic.
CHIP 1. Children’s Health Insurance Program
2. Community Health Improvement Program
CLHO Conference of Local Health Officials: (pronounced clo). The Oregon statewide organization of county health department officials.
CMHC Community Mental Health Center
CMS Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
CN, CON Certificate of Need
CNA Certified Nursing Assistant
CNM Certified Nurse Midwife
COG Council of Government: A regional grouping of county governments to coordinate planning and other regional activities.
CoP Condition of Participation
CPNP Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
CPT Common Procedural Terminology
CRNA Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
D
DC Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine
DDS Doctor of Dental Surgery
DHHS U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Formerly called the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and still often referred to as DHEW or HEW.
DHS Oregon Department of Human Services: Oregon department which contains divisions covering the range of health and social services.
DMAP Division of Medical Assistance Programs
DMD Doctor of Medical Dentistry
DME Durable Medical Equipment
DO Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
DPM Doctor of Podiatric Medicine
DRG Diagnostic-related group
DSH Disproportionate Share Hospital
E
EACH Essential Access Community Hospital
EMS Emergency Medical Services: Services provided by or through ambulances, other quick response units, personnel, equipment communications systems, etc. to deal with medical emergencies.
EMT Emergency Medical Technician: A paramedical professional trained in emergency medicine. Four levels of EMT’s, varying by the amount and sophistication of training received (called EMT I, EMT II, EMT III, and EMT IV)
EPSDT Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment Program
F
FHIAP Family Health Insurance Assistance Program
FFS Fee for Service
Flex Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant Program
FNP Family Nurse Practitioner
FP Family Medical Practitioner
FPL Federal Poverty Level
FQHC Federally Qualified Health Center
FTE Full Time Equivalent: A measure of the number of staff in an agency; one FTE = one person working 40 hours per week.
G
GCRB Geographic Classification Review Board
GME Graduate Medical Education
H
HCFA Health Care Financing Administration: The Federal agency responsible for administering the Medicare program and compiling various data on health care finances.
HHA Home Health Agency
HHS See: DHHS
HIPAA Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996
HIT Health Information Technology
HMO Health Maintenance Organization
HMSA Health Manpower Shortage Area: (pronounced him sa) An area designated by the Secretary of DHHS as having an acute shortage of health providers and/or dentists and, therefore eligible for placement of appropriate NHSC providers. The criteria for designation are updated periodically, with the most recent criteria published in the Federal Register, Vol. 46, No. 89, Part II, May 8, 1981.
HPSA Health Professional Shortage Area
HRSA Health Resources and Services Administration: (pronounced "hersa"), Part of DHHS
I
IM Internal Medicine
IMR Infant Mortality Rate
IPA Independent Practice Association
L
LTC Long Term Care
M
MAF Medical Assistance Facility
MCH Maternal and Child Health: A program of health care for which federal and state funds are available.
MD Doctor of Medicine
Medicaid Authorized by Title XIX of the Social Security Act, Medicaid is a Federally assisted program, operated and administered by the individual states, which provides medical benefits for eligible low-income persons. The States define covered benefits, eligibility, rates of payment to providers and methods of program administration.
Medicare Title XVIII of the Social Security Act of 1965 which helps pay for medical and health services for persons age 65 and over and persons who are disabled. The major benefits of this legislation include physician services, hospital care, home care, extended care, and facility coverage for a defined period of time. This program is financed through Social Security deductions from employee/employer payrolls and is handled through national trust funds.
MHC Migrant Health Center: Federally funded (Section 329 Public Health Service Act) primary care clinic in a high migrant impact area.
MRHFP Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program. See Flex.
MSA Metropolitan Statistical Area
MSFW Migrant/Seasonal Farm Workers
MSP Medicare Secondary Payor
MUA Medically Underserved Area: Designation for precondition to receiving community health center federal grant monies.
MUP Medically Underserved Population
N
ND Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine
NEOAHEC Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center
NHSC National Health Service Corps: A program by which recent medical graduates are placed in HMSAs.
NP Nurse Practitioner
NRHA National Rural Health Association
P
PA Physician Assistant
PCCM Primary Care Case Manager
PCP Primary Care Practitioner
PHS U.S. Public Health Service: A principal operating component of DHHS concerned with administering public health programs, including the Indian Health Service, biomedical research, health manpower training, family planning, emergency medical services, health maintenance organizations, community health programs, and health planning.
PNP Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
POLST Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment
PPO Preferred Provider Organization
PPRC Physician Payment Review Commission
PPS Prospective Payment System
Primary Care Basic level of health care usually rendered by general practitioners, family practitioners, internists, obstetricians, and pediatricians, and, more recently, midlevel practitioners. This type of care emphasizes caring for the patient's general health needs as opposed to a more specialized or fragmented approach to medical care. This care is usually rendered in an outpatient setting.
PRO Professional Standards and Review Organization: Local organizations set up by a federal program to review and monitor the quality and effectiveness of health services.
PSA 1. Physician Scarcity Area
2. Public Service Announcement
PT Physical Therapist
R
RAC Rural Assistance Center
RBEG Rural Business Enterprise Grant
RBRVS Resource-Based, Relative Value System
RCHC Rural Community Health Clerkship
RHC Rural Health Clinic
RHC Act Establishes a reimbursement mechanism to support the provision of primary care services in rural areas. Public Law 95-210 was enacted in 1977 and authorizes the expanded use of physician assistants, nurse practitioners and certified nurse practitioners; extends Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement to designated clinics; and raises Medicaid reimbursement levels to those set by Medicare.
RHCC Rural Health Coordinating Council: A group created by the 1979 Oregon Legislature, staffed by the Office of Rural Health within OHSU which looks at ways of providing health services to rural areas and distributed funds to rural areas.
RHW Rural Health Works
RIC Rural Information Center
RNO Rural Nurses Organization
ROI Rural Oregon Institute
RPCH Rural Primary Care Hospital
RUCA Rural Urban Commuting Area Codes
Rural Hospital A hospital characterized by one of the following:
  • Type A: small and remote, have less than 50 beds, and more than 30 miles from the nearest hospital.
  • Type B: small and rural, have less than 50 beds, and 30 miles or less from the nearest hospital.
  • Type C: considered rural and have 50 or more beds.
S
SAIF State Accident Insurance Fund
SCH Sole Community Hospital
Section 329 The section of the Public Health Service Act which authorizes the Migrant Health Program.
Section 330 The section of the Public Health Service Act which authorizes the Community Health Center Program.
Section 501 (c)(3) of the IRS Code The section of the Internal Revenue Services (IRS) Code that defines the Federal income tax exempt status of non-profit organizations that are organized and operated exclusively for charitable, religious, educational, scientific and/or literary purposes. To qualify as a Section 501 (c)(3) organization, no part of the organization's net earnings can be used to the benefit of private share holders or individuals, nor can the organizations engage in the carrying on of propaganda or other activities to influence legislation. All donations to such organizations are deductible as charitable contributions. Other requirements presented in Section 501 (c)(3) may be reviewed by checking the IRS Code.
Service Area The geographical area served by a health care facility.
Sliding Fee Scale A schedule of discounts in charges for services which is based on the consumer's ability to pay, according to income and family size. Bureau of Health Care Delivery and assistance programs, such as the Community Health Center program, require that projects have sliding fee scales based upon the Federal government poverty guidelines.
SORH State Office of Rural Health
SORHN Southeastern Oregon Rural Health Network: A consortia of clinics in Bly, Chiloquin, and North Lake.
T
Third Party Payer (or Payor) An insurance company, such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, that pays for hospital and doctor bills and certain other health care services for subscribers. (First party - patient; second party - provider of service). Payment from these payors is commonly referred to as third party reimbursement.
Title XVIII Title XVIII of the Social Security Act which authorizes the Medicare Program.
Title XIX Title XIX of the Social Security Act which authorizes the Medicaid Program.
W
WHCNP Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner
WIC Women, Infants and Children program: (pronounced wick) A Federally-funded nutrition program for women, infants and children operated in many Oregon counties.