Search for meaning: centers of excellence, service lines and institutes

Differentiation is critical in today's competitive health care environment. However, as more institutions adopted the strategy, the terminology has become diffuse and commoditized. For example, the term center of excellence (COE) has become buzz jargon. The ubiquity of the term has made it all but meaningless. To that end, some degree of etymology and standardization of the terminology may be desirable. As the newest COE at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, Newport Beach, CA, they were charged with doing it right by the hospital executive leadership and board of directors. Their strategic approach started with creating the mission statement: Patient-centered, integrated multidisciplinary team approach to nervous system disorders providing demonstrably superior quality for the communities they serve, using the best in evidence-based practice, state-of-the-art technology, and advanced clinical research. Although medical staff departments remain necessary, they are not sufficient for optimal delivery of health care services in a hospital organization.