tertiary care

tertiary care (uncountable)

1. (medicine) Health care treatment requiring very specialized expertise and advanced equipment and usually delivered within a medical facility.
   • 1981 Jan. 23, Neil D. Rosenberg, Health board holds on hospital plans", Milwaukee Journal, p. 1 (retrieved 21 June 2012):

     Milwaukee Children's Hospital would be incorporated in a 75-bed unit at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, dealing with so-called tertiary care patients, those requiring the most advanced level of medicine.

   • 1996 April 28, Tom Callahan, "Hospital Plans Unit for Children," New York Times (retrieved 21 June 2012):

     This 150-bed hospital would become the only hospital in the New York City area specializing entirely in providing tertiary care—the highest level of care—for seriously ill children.

   • 2009 Sept. 9, P. Zachariah, "Rethinking medical education in India," The Hindu (India) (retrieved 21 June 2012):

     The part that gets the most recognition is the relatively small tertiary care segment with advanced technology and highly specialized medical personnel.

• Often used attributively, as a modifier of another medically-related term.

• primary care
• secondary care

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