Departments represent medical specialties or service areas within your practice, such as Cardiology, Pediatrics, Dentistry, or General Medicine. Departments help organize your clinic by grouping doctors with similar specializations and allowing patients to choose the appropriate specialty when booking appointments.

A department can be associated with multiple clinics, making it ideal for multi-location practices that offer the same specialties across different locations. Doctors are then assigned to departments, creating a clear organizational structure.

Default Department

Upon installation, ClinicWP automatically creates a default department with placeholder information.

If you operate a single-specialty practice:

  • You don't need to create additional departments
  • Simply edit the default department with your actual specialty name
  • Navigate to ClinicWP → Departments and click Edit on the default department

If you operate a multi-specialty practice:

  • Edit the default department for your primary specialty
  • Create additional departments for other specialties

Accessing Department Management

  • Log in to WordPress admin dashboard
  • Navigate to ClinicWP → Departments in the left sidebar
  • You'll see a list of all existing departments
  • Click Add New to create a new department

Creating a New Department

Step 1: Click Add New

From the Departments page, click the Add New button at the top of the page.

Step 2: Fill in Department Information

Complete the following fields:

Department Name (Required)

  • The name of the medical specialty or service area

Examples:

  • "Cardiology"
  • "Pediatrics"
  • "Dentistry"
  • "General Medicine"
  • "Orthopedics"
  • "Dermatology"
  • "Physical Therapy"

Tip: Use clear, recognizable names that patients will understand.

Description (Optional)

  • A brief description of what this department offers
  • Helps patients understand the specialty

Examples:

  • "Specialized care for heart and cardiovascular conditions"
  • "Comprehensive healthcare for infants, children, and adolescents"
  • "Expert treatment for skin, hair, and nail conditions"

Recommended length: 1-2 sentences (50-100 characters)

Icon (Optional)

Upload an icon image to visually represent the department

Recommended specifications:

  • Format: PNG with transparent background (or SVG if enabled in your WP)
  • Size: 64x64 pixels or 128x128 pixels
  • Simple, recognizable design
  • Maximum file size: 500KB
  • Monochrome or simple color scheme works best

To Upload:

  • Click the Upload Icon button
  • Select an image from your Media Library or upload a new file
  • The icon preview will appear

Associated Clinics (Required)

  • Select which clinic(s) offer this department
  • Check all applicable clinics where this specialty is available
  • You must select at least one clinic

Step 3: Save Department

Click the Add Department button to create the department.

Department Organization Strategies

Strategy 1: By Medical Specialty

Organize departments by medical specialization:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Orthopedics
  • Pediatrics
  • Dermatology

Best for: Multi-specialty clinics, medical centers

Strategy 2: By Service Type

Organize departments by service offerings:

  • General Consultations
  • Diagnostic Services
  • Physical Therapy
  • Preventive Care
  • Emergency Services

Best for: Service-oriented practices, wellness centers

Strategy 3: By Patient Age Group

Organize departments by patient demographics:

  • Pediatrics (0-18 years)
  • Adult Medicine (18-65 years)
  • Geriatrics (65+ years)

Best for: Family medicine practices

Strategy 4: By Clinic Location

For multi-location practices, departments can match clinic services:

  • Downtown Clinic: General Medicine, Cardiology
  • Suburban Clinic: Pediatrics, Dermatology

Best for: Multi-location practices with different specialties at each location