The health care organization, as a specialized organizational setting, has some characteristics that make it of special concern to the conflict theorist. In a health care setting, conflict may arise as a result of (1) the complexity of medicine and the bureaucracy of health care delivery, (2) the problems of acquiring relevant information from patients compounded by the proliferation of specializations in the health care field and the probability that areas of technical expertise may not match perceived images of credibility on the part of those seeking treatment, (3) the need for accurate receipt of information and compliance about medication regimens, (4) the problems of health professionals working together from a base of extreme heterogeneity, and (5) the need to relate the function of a health care organization to its relationship with the community. These potential problems underscore the need for a thorough grounding in conflict theory and management principles and techniques for all health care professionals as part of their educational backgrounds. (Interviews with key personnel at two hospitals in northwest Ohio are appended.) (HOD)