A facility that provides (ambulatory) medical and sanitary services to a specific group in a population.

Ideally, the services should include:
- medical and sanitary care (both preventive and health-promoting) for individuals, families, other specific groups, and society as a whole;
- medical care for patients both within a health center and at home; and
- rehabilitation services together with the social welfare institutions.

World Health Organization. European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Glossary. 2009.