Preliminary Thoughts on Sustaining Central Social Work Departments.

The article discusses the major changes occurring in the health care industry in the U.S. and its implications for social work departments in health care. The new health care delivery system adopted across the nation will require the redeployment of resources and people in order to increase the scope of health care services while at the same time decreasing the costs of health care, including the shifting from inpatient acute care to outpatient care; from the current specialist settings to primary care programs; and from tertiary care to early diagnosis and prevention. The challenge for social work is to develop appropriate structures that address the need to be professionals, researchers, and focuses on practice innovation and change.