Introduction
When most Americans think of the history of healthcare in the United States, they think of doctors, nurses and hospitals. However, there are many other important players who contribute to our nation’s health system. In this article we will explore the history of medical education and training programs from their beginnings in 1815 through today’s modern facilities focused on patient care rather than research.
Department of Health
The Department of Health was created in 1879 to provide funding for medical schools and to regulate medical practices. The department also provided medical care for the military.
Expansion of hospital training programs
The number of hospitals in the United States grew rapidly, from about 3,000 in 1907 to 6,000 by 1920. The number of beds increased from about 400,000 in 1900 to 1.1 million in 1920. The growth was accompanied by increasing specialization and complexity with new departments such as oncology and pediatrics opening at many hospitals. By 1940 there were some 5500 accredited hospitals with nearly 9 million beds (or 15% of all Americans).
By 1960 over half the population lived within one mile of a hospital or clinic but only half had private health insurance while another quarter were covered by government programs like Medicare or Medicaid which is still true today even though these programs cover more people now than ever before!
MDs certified by Universities and state licensing boards
Licensing boards were established to protect the public from unqualified physicians. In the early 1900s, there were no standardized medical exams and licensing requirements varied greatly across states. To ensure that all doctors had passed an acceptable exam, these boards were created to provide oversight of state-approved courses of study for MDs and other health care professionals.
Regulation of medical practices
The AMA has been one of the most influential groups in medical regulation. It developed the Code of Medical Ethics, a set of ethical guidelines for physicians that they are legally required to follow. The AMA Council on Medical Education (CME), which was established in 1847, is responsible for accrediting medical schools and colleges of osteopathic medicine as well as certifying residencies and fellowships.
US Public Health Service Act
In 1912, the US Public Health Service Act established the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), which was then divided into three branches: The Bureau of Quarantine, Division of Medical Sciences (DMS) and Division of Preventive Medicine (DPM). The USPHS Commissioned Corps is a uniformed service within the Department of Health & Human Services. Each member serves under a direct commission from Congress as an officer in one of five specialties: epidemiology, health care administration or veterinary medicine; or as an officer in the Environmental Science Services Administration’s Biological Survey Section (BSS).
AMA Approved Standards for Medical Education
The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional organization that represents the interests of physicians in the United States. It was established in 1847, and it has grown to be one of the largest associations representing professionals in the world.
The first AMA-approved medical school was founded at Iowa Wesleyan College in 1851. The AMA’s Council on Medical Education (CME) maintains standards for education and accreditation of postgraduate medical training programs throughout the nation.
Medicare and Medicaid established to provide federal healthcare assistance to the elderly, poor and disabled.
Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people aged 65 and over, certain younger individuals with disabilities and end-stage renal disease. Medicaid is a joint federal/state program that helps pay for medical costs for certain low-income people including:
- Children up to age 18 whose family income does not exceed 133% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Most states cover all children in this group.
- Pregnant women with family income below 134% FPL who also meet other requirements. States have additional income limits that vary from 100% to 176%. In most states, non-parents are not eligible for Medicaid coverage until their earnings exceed 50 percent of the FPL or about $16,400 per year in 2017.
- To learn more about the history of Medicare and Medicaid, please visit our post on this topic.
- To learn more about the government programs, please visit the Federal Medicare and Medicaid websites.
Conclusion
I hope that you have enjoyed reading this brief history of the US health system. If there is anything left unclear, please let me know in a comment below and I will try my best to answer it for you!
