Dispensaries: The Management and Development of a Key Public Health Tool
A clear, practical guide to how dispensaries have grown into essential medical services for all people. This edition explains why organized outpatient care matters and how it can be built, run, and improved.
The book traces the history of dispensaries in the United States, then offers concrete guidance on equipment, daily operations, staffing, and administration. It also shows how the dispersal of medical services can be organized to serve ambulatory patients with efficiency and fairness, while balancing the needs of physicians, nurses, social workers, and trustees. You’ll find practical advice on records, statistics, and the role of social service within a dispensary setting.
- Learn the origins and purpose of dispensaries and their evolving role in public health
- Understand how to organize buildings, clinics, and administrative systems for efficient care
- Explore how to handle records, statistics, and patient flow without sacrificing service quality
- See how social work, visiting nursing, and public health partnerships fit into daily operations
Ideal for administrators, trustees, physicians, nurses, social workers, and anyone interested in improving access to medical service for all people.