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TNA Healthcare Glossary
Common Healthcare Terms
Acute Care: a hospital or healthcare facility that offers patient care services of a limited duration
to diagnose and/or treat an injury or short-term illness. Services include medical and surgical
inpatient services and outpatient diagnostic services.
Non-Acute Care: non-hospital settings; home health care, hospice, extended care, respite,
rehabilitation, nursing facility, residential care, long-term care, geriatric care, adult day care, etc.
Ambulatory Care: a type of medical care that is provided to patients who do not need to be
admitted to a hospital for treatment. The types of procedures and treatments are sometimes
referred to as “outpatient care.”
Tertiary Care: a specialized consultant healthcare, usually on referral from primary or
secondary medical care personnel, by specialists working in a center that has personnel and
facilities for special investigation and treatment.
Traditional Model of Healthcare (“sick model”): Traditionally hospitals were places people
would seek out only when they were sick. Physically, these were large hospital campuses that
stood alone and were only acute care facilities. In the center of a big city you would find these
hospital campuses for treating only the sick. Geographically out a little further in the suburbs is
where you find the general non-acute care, like regular doctor offices and wellness type centers
that offer services like yoga.
New Model of Healthcare (“well model”): The new model of healthcare is one where the
hospital campus is being transformed into a mixed use development including retail, dining,
shopping and services (nail salons, fitness centers etc). It is where you will come when you are
well as well as sick. Over the last ten years there have been many private urgent medical care
centers which took business away from hospitals. Now the industry is changing the model to
make sure that people come to their campuses. It is important to keep in mind that these large
campuses are expensive to run and maintain – and if people stop going to those hospitals then the
hospital loses even more money.
C Suite: a term for a suite in a hospital which has the offices of the Chief executive officer,
Chief financial officer, Chief operating officer, and possibly other Chiefs.
Case Study: a process or record of research in which detailed consideration is given to the
development of a particular person, group or situation over a given period of time.
Tarkett N.A. 16910 Munn Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
800.899.8916
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Charette: a collaborative planning and design process that brings industry professionals together
in intensive work sessions to problem solve or develop better ways of doing something. This
term is commonly used when describing case studies or white papers for evidence based design.
Evidence Based Design (EBD): is a field of study that emphasizes the use of credible evidence
to influence the design process. The approach has become popular in Healthcare Architecture in
an effort to improve patient and staff well-being, patient healing, stress reduction and safety.
Generative Space: a place-both physical & social- where the experience of the participants in
that place is one that both fulfills the functional requirements of that place and also materially
improves the health, healthcare and / or quality of life for those participating in that experience in
a manner that they can each articulate in their own terms. A generative space is place to flourish.
Lean: a manufacturing process originally created by Toyota to streamline production and
manufacture goods in the most efficient way possible. Lean processes work from the top down to
make sure that everything is done is the fastest, best way possible. Many hospitals are now using
Lean processes to offer better, more timely care to their patients. It’s the most direct way to
showing their stakeholders a return on investment. Tarkett uses the Lean process in all of our
facilities.
Group Purchasing Organization (GPO): an entity created to leverage the research and
purchasing power of a group of businesses to obtain access, discounts and enhanced services
from vendors based on the collective buying power and leveraged interests of the GPO members.
COSTCO is an example of a consumer member only group purchasing organization. A consumer
becomes a member to obtain better pricing on contracted items. Corporate GPOs are similar
except much larger in size, scope, and sophistication. This GPO trend will have an impact on our
business over the long term. Our industry needs to recognize the impact that the internet and
sophisticated procurement models have in our industry and begin to adapt to remain viable
suppliers. Trying to protect the current model (established after World War II) without adapting
to the new trends is not an intelligent way to prepare for the future.
Procurement: is the acquisition of goods, services or works from an external source. It is
favorable that they goods, services and works are obtained at the best possible cost to meet the
needs of the purchaser.
Current Contracted GPOs
Premier Inc.: largest GPO in America; they have over 90,000 members nationwide, including
40% of the hospitals in the United States. Members could also include municipalities, sports
arenas, community colleges and universities. Contracted product categories include food and
beverage, paper goods, pharmaceuticals, medical equipments and construction materials
(flooring). Premier’s healthcare focus is strong and they have additional R&D divisions that help
conduct medical testing / product analysis. It is also interesting to note that Premier also owns
some hospital members. Premier’s corporate headquarters are in Charlotte, NC.
Tarkett N.A. 16910 Munn Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
800.899.8916
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MedAssets: a large GPO that operates exclusively in healthcare. MedAsset’s mission is to align
patient care delivery, improve quality and safety and capture greater operating revenue for its
healthcare members. This company prides itself on offering full service financial capabilities to
their members. Contracted product categories include pharmaceuticals, medical equipment,
laboratory services and construction materials. MedAssets is headquartered out of Plano, TX.
HealthTrust (HCA): a healthcare specific GPO based in Nashville, TN. The HealthTrust family
is made up of HealthTrust, AdvantageTrust & CoreTrust groups. The goal is to leverage large
group buying power for the purchase of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, construction
supplies and other services. HealthTrust prides itself on “one-price-for-all model” of product and
service purchasing. There are over 1,400 hospital members and 10,600 non-acute members.
TNA Healthcare Combined Roster: a combined member database only accessible on the VPN
to get the names of over 150,000 GPO member facilities in certain geographic regions.
HealthTrust members will only belong to HealthTrust, but Premier and MedAssets members can
join multiple GPOs. Premier is not limited solely to healthcare; there will be some schools,
universities, city governments and municipality members as well. http://tna/health
TNA Partnerships
Practice Greenhealth: the source for environmental solutions for the healthcare sector and lends
support to create better, safer, greener workplaces and communities. Began in June of 1998,
when the American Hospital Association and the US Environmental Protection Agency signed a
landmark agreement to advance pollution prevention efforts in our nation’s healthcare facilities.
The resulting Memorandum of Understanding became the cornerstone of the Hospital for a
Healthy Environment (H2E) program, and called for: virtual elimination of mercury waste,
reduction of the healthcare sector’s total waste volume, chemical waste minimization, and a
variety of educational and information sharing activities focused on pollution prevention and
toxics minimization. Practice Greenhealth is a nonprofit membership organization founded on
the principles of positive environmental stewardship and best practices by organizations in the
healthcare community. www.practicegreenhealth.org
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Healthier Hospitals Initiative, HHI (extension of Practice Greenhealth): a national
campaign to implement a completely new approach to improving environmental health
and sustainability in the health care sector. Eleven of the largest, most influential U.S.
health systems, comprising approximately 500 hospitals with more than $20 billion in
purchasing power, worked with Health Care Without Harm (HCWH), the Center for
Health Design and Practice Greenhealth to create HHI as a guide for hospitals to improve
sustainability in six key areas: engaged leadership, healthier foods, leaner energy, less
waste, safer chemicals, and smarter purchasing. www.heathierhospitals.org
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CleanMed (extension of Practice Greenhealth): conference on environmental
sustainability for the health care sector. The conference attracts leaders and key decision
makers from across the industry, convening health care professionals, university
researchers, designers of professional buildings, and vendors of cleaner and safer
Tarkett N.A. 16910 Munn Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
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products and services. Their mission is to accelerate the health care sector’s commitment
to environmental sustainability and regenerative health to improve the health of people
and the environment. www.cleanmed.org
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Healthcare Without Harm: The original parent company of Practice Greenhealth, this
is the patient advocacy wing of the organization. It began in Europe twenty years ago.
HCWH shares a vision of a health care sector that does no harm, and instead promotes
the health of people and the environment. Membership in HCWH is based on an
organizational commitment to the mission and goals of the campaign, and a desire to
participate fully in helping to achieve them. Groups that join the campaign do not need to
contribute dues. HCWH does not accept financial support from manufacturers or endorse
specific products. www.noharm.org
Planetree: founded by a patient in 1978, Planetree has defined what it means to be patientcentered. Planetree’s philosophy is based on a simple premise: care should be organized first and
foremost around the needs of patients. It is a non-profit organization that provides education and
information in a collaborative community of healthcare organizations, facilitating efforts to
create patient- centered care in healing environments. www.planetree.org
Center for Health Design (CHD): formed in 1993 by a small cadre of pioneering healthcare
and design professionals committed to advancing a singular idea – that design could be used to
improve patient outcomes in healthcare environments. They are a far-reaching, international
community leading the effort to improve the quality of healthcare facilities worldwide, as well as
environments for healthy aging. CHD's mission is to transform healthcare environments for a
healthier, safer world through design research, education, and advocacy. www.healthdesign.org
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Pebble Project (extension of Center for Health Design): a unique and dynamic
collaborative, where forward thinking healthcare organizations, architects, designers and
industry partners’ work together to identify built environment designs and solutions that
measurably improve patient and worker safety, clinical outcomes, environmental
performance and operating efficiency. The purpose of the work is to: create a ripple
effect in the healthcare community, increase the body of knowledge that ripples through
the healthcare community, motivate other organizations and inspire change.
www.healthdesign.org/pebble.
Evidence-based Design Accreditation and Certification (EDAC): The Center for
Health Design’s internationally recognized program that awards credentials to individuals
who demonstrate a thorough understanding of how to apply an evidence-based process to
the design and development of healthcare settings, including measuring and reporting
results.
NXT Health: formed from a contract from the Department of Defense in 2006 to design the
Patient Room of the Future. From that initial assignment, NXT has led collaborative research
efforts that address new workflow concepts, architectural and interior design systems, and
advanced technology platforms that can enhance patient/physician communications.
www.nxthealth.org
Tarkett N.A. 16910 Munn Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
800.899.8916
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Other Healthcare Organizations
Healthcare Without Harm: an international coalition of hospitals and health care systems,
medical professionals, community groups, health-affected constituencies, labor unions,
environmental and environmental health organizations and religious groups. HCWH shares a
vision of a health care sector that does no harm, and instead promotes the health of people and
the environment. Membership in HCWH is based on an organizational commitment to the
mission and goals of the campaign, and a desire to participate fully in helping to achieve them.
Groups that join the campaign do not need to contribute dues. HCWH does not accept financial
support from manufacturers or endorse specific products. www.noharm.org
LeadingAge: is an association of 6,000 not-for-profit organizations dedicated to making
America a better place to grow old. They advance policies, conduct research, and promote
practices that support, enable and empower people to live fully as they age. Their promise:
Inspire. Serve. Advocate. The work of LeadingAge is focused on advocacy, education, and
applied research. They promote adult day services, home health, hospice, community-based
services, PACE, senior housing, assisted living residences, continuing care communities, nursing
homes as well as technology solutions and person-centered practices that support the overall
health and wellbeing of seniors, children, and those with special needs. www.leadingage.org
Pharos Project: a campaign for transparency in the building materials market. They are creating
the ultimate campaign tool for users to locate the best materials to meet their current needs and
enduring values, to help cut through the prolific greenwashing, a space where users can discuss
what makes a product truly green; and most importantly, a platform from which to show
manufacturers what constitutes a market in support of the best environmental, health and social
equity practices. www.pharosproject.net
American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE): with more than 11,000 members,
ASHE is the largest association devoted to optimizing the health care physical environment. As a
trusted industry resource, ASHE is committed to their members, the facilities they build and
maintain and the patients they serve. www.ashe.org
Health Product Collaborative (HPDC): is a customer-led organization for companies and
individuals committed to the continuous improvement of the building industry’s environmental
and health performance, through transparency and innovation in the building product supply
chain. www.hpdcollaborative.org
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Health Product Declaration (HPD): used by the HPDC, The Health Product
Declaration Open Standard is a standard format that systematizes reporting language to
enable transparent disclosure of information regarding building product content and
associated health information, by defining the critical information that is needed by
building designers, specifiers, owners and users. www.hpdcollaborative.org
Tarkett N.A. 16910 Munn Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
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The Global Aging Initiative (GAI): explores the long-term economic, social, and geopolitical
implications of demographic change in the United States and around the world. The Center for
Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) established GAI in 1999 to raise awareness of global
aging, to inform policymakers and the public about the challenges it poses, and to encourage
timely and constructive reform. Since then, GAI has pursued a wide-ranging research and
educational agenda, developing new analytical tools, designing and evaluating reform options,
and offering strategic advice to leaders in government, business, and the civil sector.
www.csis.org/program/global-aging-initiative
American Hospital Association (AHA): the national organization that represents and serves all
types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Their mission is to
advance the health of individuals and communities. The AHA leads, represents and serves
hospitals, health systems and other related organizations that are accountable to the community
and committed to health improvement. Nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks,
other providers of care and 43,000 individual members come together to form the AHA. Through
their representation and advocacy activities, AHA ensures that members' perspectives and needs
are heard and addressed in national health policy development, legislative and regulatory
debates, and judicial matters. Their advocacy efforts include the legislative and executive
branches and include the legislative and regulatory arenas. www.aha.org
American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE): with more than 11,000 members,
ASHE is the largest association devoted to optimizing the health care physical environment. As a
trusted industry resource, ASHE is committed to their members, the facilities they build and
maintain and the patients they serve. www.ashe.org
Tarkett N.A. 16910 Munn Rd, Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
800.899.8916
www.tarkettna.com