Fig. 1. Conceptualization of resource allocation for modern management of a population of citizens. The majority of individuals will manage their own health with preventive care, episodic urgent care, and/or supportive care for mild chronic disease. Only a minority of people will need more complex care on an inpatient basis. The majority of those patients will satisfactorily move back to ambulatory care status, and only at the end of life have any continuous ongoing care needs. Adapted from Samuel A. Skootsky, M.D. Used with permission.