There are various types of hospitals, but all are places in which people who need medical treatment are looked after and cared for.

The Hindus built the first known hospitals during the 5th century BC in what is now known as Sri Lanka. Hospitals didn't reach the western hemisphere until about 1500, however. when the first institution dedicated to medical care was constructed on the island of Hispaniola. Soon after, a hospital was erected in Mexico City, where it stands today.

The first hospital in the United States was called the Pennsylvania Hospital, built in Philadelphia in 1751. Today there are more than 6,600 hospitals throughout the United States available to people who require medical care. Those that treat a wide variety of minor and serious illnesses are called general hospitals. If the facility cares for those living around it, it is referred to as a community hospital.

Larger, more sophisticated...