Area/Servicio/Departamento

20:32 Aug 25, 2013 

calls its respective departments by different names: you see units, departments, wards, services, etc. But to make life easier, 'departments' covers them all.

20:24 Aug 25, 2013 

I don't have an opinion about área/departamento, but I think "Service" is a valid, direct translation of Servicio, and this is what I always use. See for example (and this is U.S. English):

"Dr. Amanda Nickles Fader, associate professor and director of the Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service at Johns Hopkins Hospital, says researchers are ..."

"Dr. Recht had been director of the hematology service and Hemophilia Center at Phoenix Children's Hospital for 10 years ..."

"Daniel L. Barrow, MD -- MBNA/Bowman Professor and Chairman Department of Neurosurgery -- Chief of the Neurosurgery Service at Emory University Hospital ..."

"She is currently the chief of the Gynecology Service at Keck Hospital of USC and chief of Gynecology at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles. "

There are many more examples like this online, enough to validate the use of "Service".

It may also make a difference if you're translating in to U.S. or U.K. English; Phil could offer the best opinion on that question.