Launched in 1963, general hospital is one of the world’s longest-running daytime soap operas. The show’s storylines revolve around the lives of a number of families in a fictional midsized Eastern city, Port Charles. Although the show has ventured into action-adventure themes, con artists, mafia bosses, espionage and exotic locales, almost all of its stories are tied back to the hospital or its medical professionals. The show is credited for starting several trends in the soap opera genre during the 1980s, including fast-paced action-adventure plot-lines that were notably different from the more traditional domestic and social issues that had dominated most other soaps at the time.
A general hospital is a type of health care facility that provides comprehensive medical services for a broad range of patients. These facilities are staffed by physicians and nurses, and may be located in large urban areas or smaller communities in rural areas. Depending on their size and the resources available to them, general hospitals may offer a variety of services that include pharmacies, laboratory testing, sophisticated diagnostic imaging (such as radiology and angiography), physical therapy departments, obstetrical units and operating rooms.
In addition to providing patient care, the hospital is usually governed by a board of trustees or a similar governing body. This group establishes policy and, on the advice of a medical advisory board, appoints a hospital administrator and a staff of physicians. General hospitals also have an administration department that handles daily operations. The administrative department is responsible for budgeting, payroll, purchasing and all other managerial functions.
While a general hospital is primarily a place to provide acute care, it often operates in conjunction with other health care facilities and clinics. These other facilities provide primary care and community health education. In some cases, the facilities can even act as a clearinghouse for referrals to other health care providers.
A hospital can be privately funded or publicly owned, and it can be operated by a government agency, a religious organization, or an independent business consortium. Generally, publicly owned and operated hospitals are larger than those that are privately run or privately funded, and they tend to have the more advanced facilities.
When the show’s executive producer Valentini took over in 2012, he leaned into the show’s history, bringing back a number of veteran characters, including Genie Francis, Tristan Rogers, Lynn Herring and Kristina Wagner. The show also has a number of younger cast members, including newcomers Tabyana Ali and Chad Duell.