A review of the trend in facilities for health services in the community.

After the Second World War, the field of medicine has changed remarkably in Japan. A comprehensive health and medical care system has been organized to meet the increasing needs and demands for health and medical care services. Health centers have played an important role in promoting health care activities in the community. The authors describe the development of health centers and other health care facilities in Japan. The authors propose that it is necessary to build a new health facility specifically designed for public health nurse activities, termed a "public health nurse station". The authors also describe the status of the health care facilities in service and the activities of the stations and evaluated them. It is concluded that the stations have brought many changes in the field of health and medical care; moreover that the station should not become a substitute for a health center but should be a facility for public health nurse activities in a community. Health centers should also play important roles for comprehensive medical services in the future.