A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science staff and medical equipment. There are many types of hospitals ranging from general community hospitals to federally funded military or veterans hospitals, psychiatric or long-term rehabilitative hospitals, as well as specialty hospitals focused on particular ailments or patient groups. Hospitals are the core of the health care system, as they provide a comprehensive range of medical services and support facilities.

A hospital may be staffed by professional physicians, surgeons and nurses. Historically, they were also run by a variety of religious orders that placed special emphasis on caring for the sick and needy in their local communities.

Modern hospitals are essential to healthcare, as they concentrate and amplify the effectiveness of many other parts of the health care system by consolidating diverse medical disciplines under one roof. They are excellent at accurately diagnosing illnesses due to their labs and medical professionals, as well as offering patients convenient access to a broad spectrum of healthcare with one visit rather than multiple visits to different sites.

Hospitals are a key element of universal health coverage, allowing patients to receive timely and expert medical attention when they need it. They offer patients access to comprehensive healthcare services that can save lives, increase their quality of life and help sustain the overall wellbeing of communities. In addition to the healthcare services they provide, hospitals contribute towards medical research promotion and are adept at adapting to changing requirements regarding the health needs of their community.