Acronyms and Abbreviations

AAMC:  American Association of Medical Colleges
AANHPI: Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
ACF: Administration for Children and Families
ACIP: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
ACGME:  Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education: accreditation of post-MD medical training programs in the US.
ADA: American Dental Association
AHRQ: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
ARRA: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
APRN: Advanced Practice Registered Nurse
BSN: Bachelor of Science in Nursing
CBPR: Community-Based Participatory Research
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CHIP: Children's Health Insurance Program
CMS: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
CNM: Certified Nurse-Midwife
CPPW:Communities Putting Prevention to Work
DDS: Doctor of Dental Surgery
DMD: Doctor of Dental Medicine
DOC: Department of Commerce
DOE: Department of Energy
DOH: Department of Health
DPHSS: Department of Public Health and Social Services
DOL: Department of Labor
DOT: Department of Transportation
ED: Department of Education
EHR: Electronic Health Records
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency
EPO: Exclusive Provider Organization
FFS: Fee For Service
FPL: Federal Poverty Level
FDA: Food and Drug Administration
GIS: Geographic Information System
HBSAG: Hepatitis B Surface Antigen
HHS: Department of Health and Human Services
HIA: Health Impact Assessment
HIT: Health Information Technology
HM): Health Maintenance Organization
HPOG: Health Profession Opportunity Grants
HRSA: Health Resources and Services Administration
HUD: Department of Housing and Urban Development
IHS: Indian Health Service
IMG: international medical graduates (previously referred to as FMG, foreign medical graduates).
IOM: Institute of Medicine
MCAT:  Medical College Admissions Test is a national, standardized exam required by most US medical schools.
MCO: Managed Care Organization
NAP: New Access Points
NCD: Non-communicable Diseases
NCHS: National Center for Health Statistics
NCI: National Cancer Institute
NHANES: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
NHDR: National Health Disparities Report
NIH: National Institutes of Health
NHIS: National Health Interview Survey
NIMHD: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
NP: Nurse Practitioners
NSDUH: National Survey on Drug Use & Health
OASH: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
OMB: Office of Management and Budget
OMH: Office of Minority Health
ONC: Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology
OWH: Office on Women's Health
PACE: Program of All Inclusive Care to the Elderly
PCP: Primacy Care Provider, sometimes refers only to primary care physicians
POS: Point of Service Plan
PPO: Preferred Provider Organization
REACH: Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health
SAMHSA: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
SCHIP: State Children's Health Insurance Program
SNF: Skilled Nursing Facilities
TANF: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
USDA: Department of Agriculture
USMLE: United States Medical Licensing Examination ® (USMLE®) is a three-step examination for medical licensure in the United States.
USPSTF: US Preventive Services Task Force
VA: Department of Veterans Affairs
USAPI: United States Associated Pacific Islands
WHO: World Health Organization

Abbreciations from "Essentials of the US Health Care System" book

ACA of 2010 – Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010
ACO – Accountable care organization
ADLs – Activities of daily living
AHA – American Hospital Association
AHRQ – Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
AIDS – Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
ALOS – Average length of stay
AMA – American Medical Association
AMC – Academic medical center
AOA – American Osteopathic Association
APC – Ambulatory payment classification
CAH – Critical access hospital
CBO – Congressional Budget Office
CCRC – Continuing-care retirement community
CDC – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CEO – Chief executive officer
CHIP – Children's Health Insurance Program
CMS – Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
CPI – Consumer price index
CPOE – Computerized physician-order entry
CPT – Current procedural terminology
DHHS – Department of Health and Human Services
DME – Durable medical equipment
DRG – Diagnosis-related group
EBM – Evidence-based medicine
EHR – Electronic health record
ESRD – End-stage renal disease
FDA – Food and Drug Administration
FPL – Federal poverty level
GDP – Gross domestic product
HDHP – High-deductible health plan
HEDIS – Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set
HHRG – Home health resource group
HI – Hospital insurance (in Medicare)
HIPPA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
HIV – Human immunodeficiency virus
HMO – Health maintenance organization
HRA – Health reimbursement arrangement
HSA – Health savings account
HTA – Health technology assessment
IADLs – Instrumental activities of daily living
ICF/MR – Intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded
IDS – Integrated delivery system
IHR – International Health Regulations
IPA – Independent practice association
IT – Information technology
JCAHO – Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations; now known as The Joint Commission Licensed practical nurse
LPN – Licensed practical nurse
LTC – Long-term care
LTCH – Long-term care hospital
LVN – Licensed vocational nurse
MA-PD – Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan
MCO – Managed care organization
MMA – Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act
MRI – Magnetic resonance imaging
MSA – Metropolitan statistical area
NCQA – National Committee for Quality Assurance
NF – Nursing Faculty (certification)
NIH – National Institutes of Health
OASIS – Outcomes and Assessment Information Set
OPPS – Outpatient prospective payment system
PDP – Stand-alone prescription drug plan
PERS – Personal emergency response system
PHO – Physician-hospital organization
PMPM – Per member per month
POS – Point-of-service (plan)
PPO – Preferred provider organization
PPS – Prospective payment system
R&D – Research and development
RBRVS – Resource-based relative value scale
RHS – Remote health services
RN – Registered nurse
RUG – Resource utilization group
SARS – Severe acute respiratory syndrome
SMI – Supplementary medical insurance (in Medicare)
SNF – Skilled nursing facility
SSI – Supplemental Security Income
UCR – Usual, customary, and reasonable (charges)
VA – Department of Veterans Affairs