Introduction to Health Care Services: Foundations and Challenges is designed to be an optimal textbook that gives students a practical and up to date understanding of the system in which they will be working. Students in health care management programs must learn the characteristics of the health services delivery system, including an understanding of the interaction of health, environments, organizations, populations and the health professions. Individual topics include determinants and measurement of health and disease; health services organization and delivery, and characteristics of economic, legal regulatory, managerial, political, historical and social aspects of health services organization and delivery. This book offers new insights into the most important sectors of the health care industry and the many challenges that they will face in the very near future.  It offers readers a very comprehensive coverage of the reforming health care industry, health care systems, health insurance, health economics and finance, hospitals, health professionals, ambulatory care services, long-term care, mental health services, legal and fraud issues, health policy, the disparate population, public health and health policy and the need for a health care system that focuses on outcomes rather than activities. This book is intended for both undergraduate and graduate students majoring in health care administration. Among the book's outstanding feature is that the book is written by authors who have many years of experience in health care management, public health and teaching various courses in health care administration.  This book also offers insight into the new world of health care deliver which will strive to keep individuals healthy rather than allow them to develop chronic diseases and their complications.     Part 1: Introduction to Health Care Services   Chapter 1 Overview of Health Care Delivery in the United States; Introduction; Fragmentation of Health Services in the United States; Comparative Health Care Systems; Focus on Fee for Services Financing; Focus on Demographic and Population Change Within the United States; The Technology Revolution in Health Care Services Delivery; Changing Patterns of Disease in this Country; Summary; Discussion Questions   Chapter 2 The Forces of Change in Health Care; The Consequences of Forty Years of Health Care Cost Escalation; Health Care Reform; The Chronic Disease Epidemic; The New Focus on Health Care Outcomes; Cost Effectiveness Research; Government Financing of Health Care; Focus on Wellness Rather Than Illness; Summary; Discussion Questions Part 2: The Major Players in Health Care Services   Chapter 3 Health Care Providers; Introduction; Physicians; Nurses; Therapists; Technicians; Administrators and Other Administrative Workers; Allied Health Professionals; Employment Trends in the Health Care Sector; Discussion Questions   Chapter 4 Hospitals; Introduction; History of Hospitals; Management of Hospitals; Health Care Staff of Hospitals; Horizontal and Vertical Integration of Hospitals; Quality of Care in Hospitals; Magnet Status of Hospitals; Challenges for Hospitals; Summary; Discussion Questions;    Chapter 5 Ambulatory Care Services; Introduction; History of Ambulatory Care Services; Reasons for the Expansion of Ambulatory Care; Home Health Care; Hospice; Institutionally based Ambulatory Care; Ambulatory Surgery Centers; Primary Care Management; Advanced Primary Care Home; Summary; Discussion Questions   Chapter 6 Health Insurance Providers; Introduction ; History of Health Insurance; Prerequisites of Health Insurance; Moral Hazard; Blue Cross Blue Shield; Health Care Provider Reimbursement; Medicare; Medicaid; Summary; Discussion Questions   Chapter 7 Managed Care; Introduction ; Concepts of Managed Health Care; History of Managed Health care; Health Maintenance Organizations; Preferred Provider Organi