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.

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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