Find your way around

The health and social services network is vast and complex, and users sometimes have trouble finding their way around. Numerous abbreviations and acronyms are used to designate types of facilities, as well as the territorial divisions for service delivery. What is a CIUSSS, an RTS, an RSS? What is meant by a facility’s mission and a facility merger? What types of facilities are there? What is the difference between an installation and a facility? What is a private subsidized facility?

To consult

• The document entitled Glossaire – Définition de termes relatifs au réseau de la santé et des services sociaux (a glossary of terms related to the health and social services network, in French), published by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, provides definitions of the most common terms used to describe the structure of the health and social services network.
• Also published by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux, the document The Québec Health and Social Services System – In Brief contains a wealth of information on subjects such as insurance plans, the responsibilities assigned to all facilities and their distribution across the various health and social services regions of Quebec, the main partners and organizations reporting to the Minister, and more. It also contains some population data and statistics.