6440 University of California
Program Descriptions

25 - TEACHING HOSPITALS

The University owns and operates five academic medical centers - Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. Their primary mission is to support the clinical teaching programs of the five schools of medicine and the educational programs in the University's other health science schools. The academic medical centers also provide a full range of health care services to their community and are sites for the development and testing of new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. The medical centers provide health care to thousands of patients who generally have more serious illnesses and fewer financial resources than patients at non-teaching hospitals. Based on their tripartite mission of teaching, research and public service, the University of California's academic medical centers are a major resource for California and the nation.

State funds support the University medical centers in recognition of the need to maintain a sufficiently large and diverse patient population for teaching purposes. Called Clinical Teaching Support, the funds are primarily used to provide financial support for patients who are essential for the clinical teaching programs, but who are unable to pay the full cost of their care.