---
type: "resource"
title: "Organization"
resource: "Organization"
---
# Organization
## Introduction
## Scope and Usage
This resource may be used in a shared registry of contact and other information for various organizations or it can be used merely as a support for other resources that need to reference organizations, perhaps as a [document](documents), [message](messaging) or as a [contained](references#contained) resource. If using a registry approach, it's entirely possible for multiple registries to exist, each dealing with different types or levels of organization.
Examples of Organizations include companies, institutions, corporations, departments, community groups, healthcare practice groups, payer/insurer, etc.
## Boundaries and Relationships
The Organization resource is used for collections of people that have come together to achieve an objective. The [Group](group) resource is used to identify a collection of people (or animals, devices, etc.) that are gathered for the purpose of analysis or acting upon, but are not expected to act themselves.
In the context of service provision, the Organization provides the services, the HealthcareService describes the services provided, and the Location describes the place where the service(s) are offered/available.
The Organization resource often exists as a hierarchy of organization resources, using the _part-of_ property to provide the association of the child to its parent organization.
This organizational hierarchy helps communicate the conceptual structure, whereas the Location resource provides the physical representation of the hierarchy.
The linkage between Organization and Location is from each point in the location hierarchy to the appropriate level in the Organization hierarchy. These links don't all have to be to the top level Organization.
When populating the organization and location hierarchies there is often not a clear distinction between these 2, however to assist in making the decision, Locations are always used for recording where a service occurs, and hence where encounters and observations are associated. The Organization property on these resources might not be the location where the service took place.
OrganizationAffiliation allows you to specify details about organization affiliations that are more complex than simple partOf relationships, such as organizations that are separate legal entities, or have other non-hierarchical relationships. No ownership is implied via OrganizationAffiliation. A single OrganizationAffiliation represents the details of a single relationship between a single pair of Organizations, including the period during which the relationship is active. Current network members can be discovered by searching for OrganizationAffiliations, and historic data can be retained without overhead and still be accessible when searching.
As noted in the Event pattern, a Location represents where a service is performed. An Organization can represent who performed the service.
## Notes
## Notes:
### Example Organization Hierarchy:
An example organization hierarchy should help give some guidance as to one example of how a location hierarchy could look within a fictitious Medical Organization.
_(The nesting here would be the "part-of" structure of the Organization resource)_
Burgers University Medical Center
Eastern Services (prov)
Emergency Dept
Oncology Dept
Nuclear Medicine Research Trials (edu)
Maternity Ward
Childrens Ward
Day Procedures Unit
Mobile Services (Ambulance)
Research Center (edu)
Nuclear Medicine (edu)
Burgers University (edu)
Nuclear Medicine Faculty (edu)
Undergraduate Medicine (edu)
...
_Note that physical structures of this hierarchy are not present - these are defined by a Location hierarchy._
## StructureDefinition
### Elements (Simplified)
- **[Organization](/organization-definitions#Organization)** [0..*]: - A grouping of people or organizations with a common purpose
- **[Organization.identifier](/organization-definitions#Organization.identifier)** [0..*]: [Identifier](/Identifier) Identifies this organization across multiple systems
- **[Organization.active](/organization-definitions#Organization.active)** [0..1]: [boolean](/boolean) Whether the organization's record is still in active use
- **[Organization.type](/organization-definitions#Organization.type)** [0..*]: [CodeableConcept](/CodeableConcept) example:[organization-type](/valueset-organization-type) Kind of organization
- **[Organization.name](/organization-definitions#Organization.name)** [0..1]: [string](/string) Name used for the organization
- **[Organization.alias](/organization-definitions#Organization.alias)** [0..*]: [string](/string) A list of alternate names that the organization is known as, or was known as in the past
- **[Organization.description](/organization-definitions#Organization.description)** [0..1]: [markdown](/markdown) Additional details about the Organization that could be displayed as further information to identify the Organization beyond its name
- **[Organization.contact](/organization-definitions#Organization.contact)** [0..*]: [ExtendedContactDetail](/ExtendedContactDetail) Official contact details for the Organization
- **[Organization.partOf](/organization-definitions#Organization.partOf)** [0..1]: Reference([Organization](/Organization)) The organization of which this organization forms a part
- **[Organization.endpoint](/organization-definitions#Organization.endpoint)** [0..*]: Reference([Endpoint](/Endpoint)) Technical endpoints providing access to services operated for the organization
- **[Organization.qualification](/organization-definitions#Organization.qualification)** [0..*]: [BackboneElement](/BackboneElement) Qualifications, certifications, accreditations, licenses, training, etc. pertaining to the provision of care
- **[Organization.qualification.identifier](/organization-definitions#Organization.qualification.identifier)** [0..*]: [Identifier](/Identifier) An identifier for this qualification for the organization
- **[Organization.qualification.code](/organization-definitions#Organization.qualification.code)** [1..1]: [CodeableConcept](/CodeableConcept) Coded representation of the qualification
- **[Organization.qualification.status](/organization-definitions#Organization.qualification.status)** [0..1]: [CodeableConcept](/CodeableConcept) preferred:[qualification-status](/valueset-qualification-status) Status/progress of the qualification
- **[Organization.qualification.period](/organization-definitions#Organization.qualification.period)** [0..1]: [Period](/Period) Period during which the qualification is valid
- **[Organization.qualification.issuer](/organization-definitions#Organization.qualification.issuer)** [0..1]: Reference([Organization](/Organization)) Organization that regulates and issues the qualification
## Mappings
- [Organization Mappings](/organization-mappings) — 37 mapping entries
## Implementation Guide
### implementationguide-Organization-core.xml
```xml
```
## Resource Packs
### list-Organization-packs.xml
```xml
-
```
## Search Parameters
- [active](/organization-search#active) — **token** — Is the Organization record active — `Organization.active`
- [address](/organization-search#address) — **string** — A server defined search that may match any of the string fields in the Address, including line, city, district, state, country, postalCode, and/or text — `Organization.contact.address`
- [address-city](/organization-search#address-city) — **string** — A city specified in an address — `Organization.contact.address.city`
- [address-country](/organization-search#address-country) — **string** — A country specified in an address — `Organization.contact.address.country`
- [address-postalcode](/organization-search#address-postalcode) — **string** — A postal code specified in an address — `Organization.contact.address.postalCode`
- [address-state](/organization-search#address-state) — **string** — A state specified in an address — `Organization.contact.address.state`
- [address-use](/organization-search#address-use) — **token** — A use code specified in an address — `Organization.contact.address.use`
- [endpoint](/organization-search#endpoint) — **reference** — Technical endpoints providing access to services operated for the organization — `Organization.endpoint`
- [identifier](/organization-search#identifier) — **token** — Any identifier for the organization (not the accreditation issuer's identifier) — `Organization.identifier | Organization.qualification.identifier`
- [name](/organization-search#name) — **string** — A portion of the organization's name or alias — `Organization.name | Organization.alias`
- [partof](/organization-search#partof) — **reference** — An organization of which this organization forms a part — `Organization.partOf`
- [phonetic](/organization-search#phonetic) — **string** — A portion of the organization's name using some kind of phonetic matching algorithm — `Organization.name`
- [type](/organization-search#type) — **token** — A code for the type of organization — `Organization.type`
[Full Search Parameters](/organization-search)
## Examples
- [1](/organization-example-1) — organization-example-gastro — Gastroenterology team at ACME Healthcare
- [1832473e-2fe0-452d-abe9-3cdb9879522f](/organization-example-1832473e-2fe0-452d-abe9-3cdb9879522f) — organization-example-lab — Clinical Laboratory at ACME Healthcare
- [2](/organization-example-2) — organization-example-insurer — XYZ Insurance
- [2.16.840.1.113883.19.5](/organization-example-2.16.840.1.113883.19.5) — organization-example-good-health-care — Good Health Clinic
- [3](/organization-example-3) — organization-example-mihealth — Government Department of Health
- [example](/organization-example-example) — organization-example — General Example Organization
- [f001](/organization-example-f001) — organization-example-f001-burgers — Real-world organization example (Burgers MC)
- [f002](/organization-example-f002) — organization-example-f002-burgers-card — Real-world organization example (Burgers MC Cardiology)
- [f003](/organization-example-f003) — organization-example-f003-burgers-ENT — Real-world organization example (ENT)
- [f201](/organization-example-f201) — organization-example-f201-aumc — Real-world organization example (Artis UMC)
- [f203](/organization-example-f203) — organization-example-f203-bumc — Real-world organization example (Blijdorp MC)
- [hl7](/organization-example-hl7) — organization-hl7 — HL7 itself
- [hl7pay](/organization-example-hl7pay) — organization-example-hl7pay — HL7 Payer Network
- [mmanu](/organization-example-mmanu) — organization-example-mmanu — Medication Manufacturer
- [organization-example](/organization-example-organization-example) — organization-example
- [organization-example-f001-burgers](/organization-example-organization-example-f001-burgers) — organization-example-f001-burgers
- [organization-example-f002-burgers-card](/organization-example-organization-example-f002-burgers-card) — organization-example-f002-burgers-card
- [organization-example-f003-burgers-ENT](/organization-example-organization-example-f003-burgers-ENT) — organization-example-f003-burgers-ENT
- [organization-example-f201-aumc](/organization-example-organization-example-f201-aumc) — organization-example-f201-aumc
- [organization-example-f203-bumc](/organization-example-organization-example-f203-bumc) — organization-example-f203-bumc
- [organization-example-gastro](/organization-example-organization-example-gastro) — organization-example-gastro
- [organization-example-good-health-care](/organization-example-organization-example-good-health-care) — organization-example-good-health-care
- [organization-example-hl7pay](/organization-example-organization-example-hl7pay) — organization-example-hl7pay
- [organization-example-insurer](/organization-example-organization-example-insurer) — organization-example-insurer
- [organization-example-lab](/organization-example-organization-example-lab) — organization-example-lab
- [organization-example-mihealth](/organization-example-organization-example-mihealth) — organization-example-mihealth
- [organization-example-mmanu](/organization-example-organization-example-mmanu) — organization-example-mmanu
- [organization-examples-header](/organization-example-organization-examples-header) — organization-examples-header
[Full Examples](/organization-examples)
## Mapping Exceptions
### organization-fivews-mapping-exceptions.xml
### Unmapped Elements
- **FiveWs.what** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.recorded** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.author** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.actor** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.cause** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.version** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.witness** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.where** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.context** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.init** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.why** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.source** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.who** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.grade** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.planned** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.done** — Unknown
- **FiveWs.subject** — Unknown
### organization-participant-mapping-exceptions.xml
### Divergent Elements
- **Participant.identifier** → **Organization.identifier**
- shortUnmatched | reason=Unknown | pattern=Business Identifier for organization | resource=Identifies this organization across multiple systems
- definitionUnmatched | reason=Unknown | pattern=Business identifiers assigned to this organization by one of the applications involved. These identifiers remain constant as the resource is updated and propagates from server to server. | resource=Identifier for the organization that is used to identify the organization across multiple disparate systems.
- commentsUnmatched | reason=Unknown | pattern=Note: This is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see [discussion](resource.html#identifiers)). It is best practice for the identifier to only appear on a single resource instance, however business practices may occasionally dictate that multiple resource instances with the same identifier can exist - possibly even with different resource types. For example, multiple Patient and a Person resource instance might share the same social insurance number.
- requirementsUnmatched | reason=Unknown | pattern=Allows identification of the organization as it is known by various participating systems and in a way that remains consistent across servers. | resource=Organizations are known by a variety of ids. Some institutions maintain several, and most collect identifiers for exchange with other organizations concerning the organization.
- **Participant.active** → **Organization.active**
- shortUnmatched | reason=Unknown | pattern=Whether the organization is currently active | resource=Whether the organization's record is still in active use
- definitionUnmatched | reason=Unknown | pattern=Whether this organization record is in active use. | resource=Whether the organization's record is still in active use.
- **Participant.name** → **Organization.name**
- shortUnmatched | reason=Unknown | pattern=A name for the organization | resource=Name used for the organization
- definitionUnmatched | reason=Unknown | pattern=Description of the organization as presented to a consumer while searching. | resource=A name associated with the organization.
### organization-participantcontactable-mapping-exceptions.xml
### Unmapped Elements
- **Participant.identifier** — Unknown
- **Participant.name** — Unknown
- **Participant.active** — Unknown
- **ParticipantContactable.address** — Unknown
- **ParticipantContactable.telecom** — Unknown