This glossary provides a list of acronyms commonly used in health care. Click the links to find out more about about the organization or initiatives listed, and visit AcronymFinder.com for a more extensive list of terms.
A
AAHC — American Association of HealthCare Consultants
AB — Assembly Bill
ABC — Alternate Birthing Center
ACO — Accountable Care Organization
ACO — Area Compliance Officer
ADA — Americans with Disabilities Act
ADP — Alcohol and Drug Programs
AHA — American Hospital Association
AHCA — American Health Care Association
AHRQ — Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
ALOS — Average length of stay
AMA — American Medical Association
AME — Affiliated Medical Enterprises
AMI — Acute Myocardial Infarction
AOA — American Osteopathic Association
AP — Acute Psychiatric
ASC — Ambulatory Surgery Centers
C
CABG — Coronary artery bypass graft (surgery)
CAHF — California Association of Health Facilities
CAHSA — California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
Cal ACEP — California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians
CalOSHA — California Occupational Safety & Health Administration
CAP — Community-acquired pneumonia
CASE — California attorneys, Administrative Law Judges and Hearing Officers in State Employment
CCMRP — California CABG Mortality Reporting Program
CCORP — California CABG Outcomes Reporting Program
CCS — California Children’s Services
CCT — Critical care transport
CCU — Coronary Care Unit
CDA — California Department of Aging
CDC — Centers for Disease Control
CDPH — California Department of Public Health
CHA — California Hospital Association (formerly CAHHS)
CHPDAC — California Health Policy and Data Advisory Commission
CHPSO — California Hospital Patient Safety Organization
CMA — California Medical Association
CMAC — California Medical Assistance Commission
CMRS — Center for Medical Rehabilitation Services
CMS — Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services
CNO — Chief Nursing Officer
CPAP — Continuous positive airway pressure
D
DADP — Department of Alcohol & Drug Programs
DDS — Department of Developmental Services (State of California)
DDMI — Developmentally delayed / mentally ill
DHCS — Department of Health Care Services (State of California)
DHS — Department of Health Services
DMH — Department of Mental Health (State of California)
DNV — Det Norske Veritas
DPH — Department of Public Health
DRG — Diagnosis-related group
DSH — Disproportionate Share Hospitals (Medicaid)
E
ED — Emergency Department
EIR — Environmental Impact Report
EMR — Emergency Medical Response
EMS — Emergency Medical Services
EMSA — Emergency Medical Services Authority
EMTALA — Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act
EOC — Emergency Operations Center
ER/ASC — Emergency Room / Ambulatory Surgery Centers
F
FDD — Facilities Development Division
FEMA — Federal Emergency Management Agency
FFP — Federal Financial Participation
FQHC — Federally Qualified Health Centers
G
GAC — General acute care
H
HAI — Hospital-acquired infections
HBOC — Hospital-based outpatient clinics
HBSB — Hospital Building Safety Board (OSPHD)
HCF — Health care facilities
HCTP — Health careers training program
HCUP — Healthcare Costs and Utilization Project
HDPIC — Health Data and Public Information Committee
HFCLIF — Health Facility Construction Loan Insurance Fund
HFMA — Healthcare Financial Management Association
HFPA — Health Facility Planning Areas
HHAHom — e Health Agency
HICS — Hospital Incident Command Center
HID — Healthcare Information Division (OSHPD)
HIN — Healthcare Intelligence Network
HOC — Healthcare Outcomes Center
HPCOP — Health Professions Career Opportunity Program (OSHPD)
HPP — Health Policy and Planning Division (OSHPD)
HSAG — Health Services Advisory Group
I
ICD-9-CM — International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification
ICF — Immediate Care Facility
ICU — Intensive Care Unit
IGT — Inter-Governmental Transfer
IHP — Impacted hospital program
IJ — Immediate jeopardy
IMAC — Independent Medicare Advisory Council
IMD — Institute of Mental Disease
IOR — Inspector of Record
IPF PPS — Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System
J
JCAHO — Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization
L
LDR — Labor/delivery/recovery
LDRP — Labor/delivery/recovery/postpartum
LCT — Long-term care facility
LOC — Level of care
LPS — Licensed psychiatric service
LPS — Lanteman-Petris-Short Act
M
MAC — Medical Alert Center
MCI — Multi-casualty incident
MICN — Mobile intensive care nurse
MedPAC — Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
MIRCAL — Medical Information Reporting for California
MLK-MAAC — Martin Luther King – Multi-Ambulatory Care Center
MOC — Manual of criteria
MOU — Memorandum of understanding
MRI — Medical Resonance Imaging
MRSA — Methicillin-resistant staphyloccus aureus
MSSA — Medical Service Study Area
MUA — Medically underserved area
MUP — Medical underserved populations
N
NICU — Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
NUSIG — National Uniform Seismic Installation Guidelines
O
OESO — Office of Emergency Services (State of California)
OHCA — Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
OHII — Office of Health Information Integrity
OIG — Office of Inspector General
OSHA — Occupational Safety & Health Administration
OSHPD — Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (State of California)
P
PA — Physician Assistant
PATH — Preserving Access to Healthcare
PCC — Prehospital Care Coordinator
PCI — Percutaneous intervention
PDD — Patient discharge Data
PDP — Psychiatric diversion program
PDS — Patient Data Section
PEACH — Private Essential Access Community Hospitals
PET — Psychiatric Emergency Team
PHF — Psychiatric Health Facility
PMRT — Psychiatric Medical Response Team
PSH — Permanent Supportive Housing
PSO — Patient Safety Organization
PTCA — Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
Q
QIO — Quality Improvement Organization
R
RAC — Recovery audit contractor (Medi-Cal Recovery Audit regarding Medi-Cal claim fraud)
RHC — Rural health clinics
RHPC — Rural Health Policy Council
S
SAMHSA — Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SNF — Skilled nursing facility
SPCP — Selective Provider Contracting Program
SRC — STEMI Receiving Center
SSC — Seismic Safety Commission
STEMI — ST-elevation myocardial infarction
T
TF — Triage form
TR — Triage
U
UAPD — Union of American Physicians and Dentists
URAC — Utilization Review Accreditation Commission
USPS — US Public Health Service
V
VA — Veteran’s Affairs