tertiary care

noun

: highly specialized medical care usually over an extended period of time that involves advanced and complex procedures and treatments performed by medical specialists in state-of-the-art facilities compare primary care, secondary care

Examples of tertiary care in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And despite being classified as tertiary care institutions meant for the sickest patients, university hospitals are chronically overcrowded because costs are low and primary care physicians give out referrals for even minor ailments. —Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2024

In the past, patients transferred from emergency departments to tertiary care hospitals were excluded. —Brian Stein and Bala Hota, STAT, 24 Aug. 2023

Many neighborhoods in the U.S. do not have tertiary care centers, or hospitals that provide specialized care. —Nada Hassanein, USA TODAY, 8 Feb. 2023

Our subjects were also typical of those seen in secondary and tertiary care in other centres. —Neuroskeptic, Discover Magazine, 6 Jan. 2010

Many rural hospitals, including Whitfield, typically transfer those patients to tertiary care centers like UAB — which wasn’t always possible during the summer surge. —Katie Palmer, STAT, 5 Oct. 2021

As the chair of medicine for a large tertiary care hospital in Connecticut, I was used to getting requests from across New England for patients to be transferred to the higher level of care our hospital could offer. —Suparna Dutta, STAT, 20 Sep. 2021

At times in recent weeks, hospital staff have struggled to find a tertiary care hospital in the region that would accept a patient in need of more advanced treatment, Horner said, as these hospitals have been going on diversion more often. —Shari Rudavsky, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Aug. 2021

Avera serves a 72,000-square-mile territory across South Dakota and neighboring states, with one tertiary care center in Sioux Falls and 15 small hospitals in rural settings. —Kimberlee McKay, STAT, 17 Aug. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tertiary care

• concessionaire
• abwehr
• affair
• affaire
• airfare
• altair
• armchair
• aware
• beware
• bugbear
• carfare
• childcare

Medical Definition

tertiary care

noun

: highly specialized medical care usually over an extended period of time that involves advanced and complex procedures and treatments performed by medical specialists in state-of-the-art facilities compare primary care, secondary care