How are hospital medical staffs organized into departments?

In a hospital, the medical staff is organized into departments based primarily on the specialization of its members rather than the size of the facility, though these factors often correlate. Common examples of these clinical departments include surgery, medicine, obstetrics, and pediatrics.1

The leadership of these departments, alongside the chiefs of radiology and pathology, forms the medical advisory board. This board is responsible for addressing medical-administrative matters. To ensure quality and accountability, the professional work of individual staff members is reviewed by medical-staff committees. In larger institutions, these committees typically report to the medical advisory board, whereas in smaller hospitals, they may report directly to the medical staff during regular meetings.1