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Specialty Definitions
 
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Adolescent Medicine - a provider who treats patients between the ages of 13 and 18.
Aerospace Medicine - a medical specialty concerned with the health and medical problems of persons involved in air and space travel.
Allergy & Immunology - a medical specialty concerned with the hypersensitivity of the individual to foreign substances and protection from the resultant infection or disorder.
Anesthesiology - the medical study of how to eliminate pain and sensation in people undergoing surgery and other medical procedures.
Audiology - the study of hearing disorders through the identification and evaluation of hearing loss and the rehabilitation of persons with hearing impairments that cannot be improved by medical or surgical means.
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Behavioral Health/Mental Health - Providers who are trained and educated to perform services related to behavioral health, mental health and counseling.
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Cardiology - the medical study of the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels.
Child Development - the treatment of children having developmental delays or learning disorders.
Christian Science Provider - a practitioner listed and certified by The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, Massachusetts.
Clinical Genetics – the study of the patterns of inheritance of specific traits
Clinical Neuropsychology - the study of cognitive (language, memory, etc.) and behavioral symptoms that occur in people with brain disorders.
Clinical Pharmacology - the study of the science of drugs including their origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic use and toxicology.
Critical Care - a provider who works mostly in an inpatient setting and provides specialized services of a critical nature.
Cytology - a branch of biology dealing with the structure, function, multiplication, pathology and life history of cells.
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Dentistry - the branch of medicine dealing with the care of the teeth and associated structures of the oral cavity. It is concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of the teeth and gums.
Dermatology - the field of medicine that specializes in the treatment of skin disorders.
Dermatopathology - a practitioner who after completing their training in either dermatology or pathology have received additional training in accredited programs for the interpretation of skin biopsies.
Diagnostic Neuroimaging - a practitioner with additional training, experience and competence in the standards of performance and interpretation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI / MRA) of the head, spine, and peripheral nerves and Computed Tomography (CT) of the head and spine.
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Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) - please refer to Otolaryngology.
Electrophysiology - the branch of science concerned with electrical phenomena that are associated with physiologic processes.
Emergency Medicine - a medical specialty concerned with the care and treatment of acutely ill or injured patients who need immediate medical attention.
Endocrinology - the science and medical specialty concerned with the function and pathology of the endocrine glands (for example the thyroid gland, pituitary gland, etc).
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Family Practice - a medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family
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Gastroenterology - the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders affecting the stomach, intestines and associated organs.
General Practice (GP) - a relatively obsolete term for physicians who care for all types of medical problems, including internal medical, pediatric, obstetrical and surgical diseases. Post-graduate training for general practitioners was limited and there was no specialty certification; the field has been replaced by more extensively trained family practitioners.
Genetics - the study of the patterns of inheritance of specific traits.
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Hematology - a medical science that deals with the blood and blood forming tissues.
Hepatology - the medical study encompassing the structure, function, and diseases of the liver and biliary tract.
Hospice and Palliative Medicine - a practitioner with the special knowledge and skills to prevent and relieve the suffering experienced by patients with life-limiting illnesses.
Hospitalist - a physician in charge of caring for hospitalized patients. These practitioners are rarely involved in outpatient care; they concentrate their efforts on caring for patients confined to an inpatients setting
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Immunology - the diagnosis and management of disorders of the immune system..
Infectious Disease – the medical specialty that is concerned with the management of diseases communicated or capable of being communicated by infection.
Internal Medicine - branch of medicine that treats diseases of the internal organs by other than surgical means.
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Medical Toxicology - the medical science that deals with poisons and their effect and with the problems involved.
Midwifery - the independent management of women's health care focusing particularly on common primary care issues, family planning and gynecologic needs of women, pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period and the care of the newborn.
MOHS, Micrographic Surgery - tadvanced treatment procedure for skin cancer.
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Neonatal - Perinatal Medicine - a subspecialty of pediatrics which focuses primarily on the medical needs of newborn babies, or neonates..
Nephrology - the branch of medical science concerned with the structure and function of the kidneys and the treatment of kidney disorders.
Neurology - the branch of medicine that deals with the nervous system and its diseases.
Neuromusculoskeletal & OMM – the study of medicine combining the nervous system, the skeleton and the muscles.
Nurse Practitioner - is a registered nurse with at least a master’s degree in nursing and advanced education in the primary care of patients and capable of independent practice in a variety of settings.
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Obstetrics & Gynecology - a medical specialty focusing on the care and management of the female reproductive system. Obstetricians care for women during pregnancy, delivery and post-childbirth. They can practice in both gynecology and obstetrics or limit their work to just one of them. This specialty has the following subspecialties: Gynecological Oncology; Maternal and Fetal Medicine; Critical Care Medicine; Reproductive Endocrinology.
Occupational Medicine - a branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of patients with occupational and environmental illness and injury; may include adaptation of tasks or environment to achieve maximum independence and optimum quality of life.
Occupational Therapy - a form of therapy that encourages and instructs manual activities for therapeutic or remedial purposes in mental and physical disorders. Therapeutic activities used to develop, regain, or maintain the skills necessary for health, productivity, and independence in everyday life.
Oncology - the study of diseases that cause cancer.
Ophthalmology - a branch of medicine dealing with the structure, functions and diseases of the eye.
Optometry - a health care professional who is licensed to provide primary eye care services.
Orthopedic Medicine - the branch of surgery devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of injuries and diseases of the body’s musculoskeletal system.
Osteopath - A general practitioner that follows the philosophy that combines the needs of the patient with the current practice of medicine.
Otolaryngology (ENT) - the branch of medicine concerned with medical and surgical treatment of the head and neck, including the ears, nose and throat.
Otology - a branch of biomedicine which studies normal and pathological anatomy and physiology of the ear (hearing and vestibular sensory systems and related structures and functions) as well as its diseases, diagnosis and treatment.
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Pain Management - the supervision and control of pain due to a physical or medical condition.
Pathology - the medical science concerned with all aspects of disease, but with special reference to the essential nature, causes, and development of abnormal conditions, as well as the structural and functional changes that result from the disease processes.
Pathology, Anatomic & Clinical - the branch of pathology that is concerned with the diagnosis of disease based on the gross and microscopic examination of cells and tissues.
PCM - a Primary Care Manager must practice in a Prime Service Area and is defined as a healthcare professional that is trained and licensed to treat beneficiaries in the specialties of Family Practice, General Practice, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Obstetrics/Gynecology. A physician or allied health professional (i.e. nurse practitioner, physician assistant, certified nurse midwife) may be a PCM. A provider in these specialties located outside of a Prime Service Area will be listed as a Specialist.
Pathology, Dermatopathology - The study of the causes and nature of skin diseases.
Pathology, Hematology – the study of the causes of diseases of the blood.
Pediatrics - the medical science relating to the care of children and treatment of their diseases from birth through the teen years.
Pediatrics, Anesthesiology – the medical study of how to eliminate pain and sensation in children undergoing surgery and other medical procedures.
Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology - a medical specialty concerned with the hypersensitivity of the individual to foreign substances and protection from the resultant infection or disorder in children.
Pediatrics, Cardiology - the medical study of the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels in children.
Pediatrics - Critical Care - the care and treatment of patients (age birth to teen years) during a time of medical crisis.
Pediatrics, Dermatology - the field of medicine that specializes in the treatment of skin disorders in children.
Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine - treatment of patients, from birth to teen years, primarily in hospitals or ambulatory emergency centers, that is an urgent condition perceived by the patient as requiring immediate medical or surgical evaluation or treatment. These physicians treat trauma victims and people in need the immediate care necessary to prevent death or disability due to accident or acute illness.
Pediatrics, Endocrinology - a medical subspecialty dealing with variations of physical growth and sexual development in childhood, as well as diabetes and other disorders of the endocrine glands.
Pediatrics, Gastroenterology - the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders affecting the stomach, intestines and associated organs in children.
Pediatrics, Hematology-Oncology - a medical science that deals with the blood and blood forming tissues, as well as diseases that cause cancer, in children.
Pediatrics, Infectious Disease - the medical specialty that is concerned with the management of diseases communicated or capable of being communicated by infection in children.
Pediatrics, Neurology - the branch of medicine that deals with the nervous system and its diseases in children.
Pediatrics, Neurosurgery - the surgical specialty for the treatment of diseases and disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral and sympathetic nervous system in children
Pediatrics, Nephrology - the branch of medical science concerned with the structure and function of the kidneys and the treatment of kidney disorders in children.
Pediatrics, Opthalmology - a branch of medicine dealing with the structure, functions and diseases of the eye in children
Pediatrics, Orthopedic Surgery – the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of injuries and disease of the body’s musculoskeletal system in children.
Pediatrics, Otolaryngology - the branch of medicine concerned with medical and surgical treatment of the head and neck, including the ears, nose and throat in children.
Pediatrics, Pulmonology - a subspecialty of internal medicine concerned with the study of the respiratory system in children.
Pediatrics, Rheumatology - the division of medicine concerned with rheumatic diseases of joints, muscles, bones, and tendons in children.
Pediatrics, Urology – the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disease of the urinary tract and urogential system in children.
Pediatrics - Rehabilitation Medicine - a pediatric subspecialty that treats patients from birth to teen years in recovering from or overcoming disabilities or impairments caused by injury, illness, or neurologic conditions such as strokes.
Pediatrics - Surgery - a subspecialty of surgery involving the surgery of fetuses, infants, children, adolescents and young adults.
Phlebology - a medical discipline that involves the diagnosis and treatment of venous disorders, including spider veins, varicose veins, chronic venous insufficiency, venous leg ulcers, congenital venous abnormalities, venous thromboembolism and other disorders of the venous origin.
Psychosomatic Medicine - a subspecialty in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders and symptoms in complex medically ill patients.
Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation - a medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of disabling diseases, disorders, and injuries typically of a musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, neuromuscular, or neurological nature by physical means (as by the use of electromyography, electrotherapy, therapeutic exercise or pharmaceutical pain control).
Physical Therapy - the treatment of disease by physical and mechanical means (as massage, regulated exercise, water, light, heat and electricity)
Podiatry - the medical study of the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the foot.
Pulmonary Disease - a subspecialty of internal medicine concerned with the study of the respiratory system. It is especially concerned with diagnosis and treatment of diseases and defects of the lungs and bronchial tree.
Psychiatry - the branch of medical science that deals with the causes, treatment, and prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders
Psychiatry, Child - the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of mental or emotional conditions, including substance abuse in children.
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Radiology - the branch of medicine concerned with radioactive substances, including x-rays, radioactive isotopes, and ionizing radiation, and the application of this information to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease.
Rheumatology - the division of medicine concerned with rheumatic diseases of joints, muscles, bones, and tendons
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Sleep Medicine – a subspecialty in clinical assessment, physiologic testing, diagnosis, management, and prevention of sleep and circadian rhythm disorders.
Speech Pathology - the study of the causes for diseases and disorders that minimize or halt the use of voice and ability to talk.
Speech Therapy - the study, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disorders that minimize or halt the use of the voice and of spoken and written communication.
Spinal Cord Injury Medicine - the field of medicine concerned with prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management of traumatic spinal cord injury.
Sports Medicine - a field of medicine concerned with physical fitness and the diagnosis and treatment of injuries sustained in sports activities.
Surgery - a branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of disease, injury, and deformity by operation or manipulation. Surgery may be done to diagnose illness, remove or repair tissue, repair injuries, or correct malfunctioning parts.
Surgery, General - the specialty of medicine that deals with disease or injury by operative means
Surgery, Cardiovascular - the surgical specialty that is concerned with the heart and major blood vessels of the chest.
Surgery, Colon and Rectal - the surgical specialty that is involved with the large intestine
Surgery, Hand - the surgical specialty that deals with a wide range of problems with the hand.
Surgery, Neuro - the surgical specialty for the treatment of diseases and disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral and sympathetic nervous system
Surgery, Oral - a dental specialty limited to the surgical removal of teeth and the treatment of disease, deformities, and defects of the jaws and associated structures.
Surgery, Orthopedic - the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of injuries and diseases of the body's musculoskeletal system.
Surgery, Plastic - the surgical specialty that deals with the reconstruction of facial and body tissue that requires a reshaping or remolding due to disease, a defect, or disorder.
Surgery, Transplant - the surgical specialty that deals with the transfer of a tissue or an organ from one person to another, or from one site to another in the same person.
Surgery, Thoracic - the surgical specialty that deals with the area of the chest: chest wall, heart, lungs and esophagus
Surgery, Vascular - the surgical specialty related to the blood vessels of the body.
 
Urgent Care Physician - primarily based in hospitals or ambulatory emergency centers, these physicians treat conditions that require immediate attention but are not life threatening.
Urology - the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the urinary tract and urogential system.
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