The Evolution of Medical Terminology: Why ‘Health Care’ Remains Two Words at STAT
The Associated Press officially updated its style guide in April 2024 to adopt “healthcare” as a single word, marking a significant shift in journalism standards. Despite this industry trend, the news organization STAT has decided to maintain the two-word spelling, “health care,” citing a commitment to internal consistency and a preference for the emphasis the separated terms provide. This decision highlights a broader debate within professional editing regarding linguistic evolution, readability, and the importance of institutional style.
Why the Associated Press Changed Its Stance
The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, often considered the gold standard for newsrooms, announced the change to “healthcare,” “daycare,” and “childcare” during the 2024 ACES: The Society for Editing conference. According to the organization, the shift reflects the increasing prevalence of the one-word form in common usage and industry communication.
For many years, the AP strictly maintained the two-word distinction, even as medical journals and corporate entities transitioned to the compound noun. By consolidating these terms, the AP aims to modernize its guidance to align with the way the public and industry professionals currently write about these sectors.
The Case for Two Words: STAT’s Editorial Decision
Following the AP announcement, STAT’s director of editorial operations, Sarah Mupo, conducted an internal review to determine whether the publication should follow suit. After polling staff and soliciting input from over 200 readers, the organization chose to retain the two-word form.
The decision was driven by three primary factors:
* Consistency: STAT has used “health care” since its founding in 2015. Maintaining this style ensures continuity across its archives and existing newsletters, such as *Health Care Inc.*
* Emphasis: Proponents of the two-word form argue that separating “health” and “care” places equal weight on both concepts, which some editors believe is more appropriate for a publication focused on the complexities of the medical field.
* Parallelism: Critics of the one-word shift point out that related terms, such as “dental care” or “prenatal care,” remain two words. They argue that keeping “health care” as two words provides a logical parallel to these other common medical phrases.
How Style Guides Impact Journalism
A style guide serves as a foundational document for newsrooms, ensuring that reporters and editors maintain a consistent voice. While the public may view debates over a space as minor, these decisions are essential for maintaining professional standards and clarity.
According to the AP Stylebook, the goal of such guidelines is to provide a uniform framework that prevents confusion. However, individual publications frequently diverge from AP style to better suit their specific audiences. For instance, while AP avoids the serial comma, many other major outlets—including STAT—utilize it to prevent ambiguity in complex sentences.
Comparison of Style Trends
| Organization | Style Choice | Reasoning |
| :— | :— | :— |
| Associated Press | Healthcare | Modernization and alignment with common usage. |
| STAT | Health Care | Institutional consistency and emphasis on both words. |
The move toward “healthcare” as one word is part of a linguistic trend called “compounding,” where two-word phrases eventually merge as they become more common. Similar examples include “babysitter” and “notebook,” both of which began as two separate words before evolving into single, closed compounds. While the AP has embraced this shift, the debate within journalism underscores that language usage remains a balance between evolving cultural norms and the specific branding needs of individual newsrooms.