Inpatient Services
What is a hospitalist?
A hospitalist is a physician that is specially trained in caring for patients in a hospital-setting, that is available on-site to coordinate every detail of a patient's treatment.
Our board-certified physicians that make up our hospitalist program are trained in internal medicine and/or family medicine, and work in close consultation with the patient's primary care provider and any specialists needed for care.
Benefits
One benefit is that hospitalists have more expertise in caring for complex hospitalized patients on a daily basis.
They are also more available to the patients, family members, and members of the care team by being physically in the building during off-hours and weekends.
They are thus able to follow up on test results, put in new orders, answer questions, deal with any complications that may arise, and expedite the discharge process when the patient is ready to go home.
A hospitalist will coordinate the communication between different doctors that may be caring for a patient primary care physician, anesthesiologist, surgeon, intensivist, etc.
Since the hospitalist's "office" is here at the Medical Center, they also are able to become more familiar with the hospital's policies and activities, and participate on important committees to improve areas such as patient safety, medical error reduction, effective communication, and cost effective patient care.
Studies have shown that hospitalist programs offer many benefits, including:
- Enhanced patient care and safety
- Faster recovery and shorter hospital stay
- Reduced hospitalization costs
- Improved patient satisfaction
Why isn't my regular doctor caring for me while I'm in the hospital?
Some primary care physicians continue to utilize the traditional model where they are responsible for their patient's care while in the hospital setting. But others may choose to take advantage of what a hospitalist can provide.
Coordinating a patient's care with a hospitalist allows the primary care physician to provide more time with his patients in the outpatient office setting.
It also frees the primary care physician up from some of the visits, phone calls, and coordination needed to provide the best care during a hospital stay.
He or she can trust in the hospitalists to coordinate the best care for his/her patients while they are busy tending to their office patients.
If you have additional questions about your care while here at our facility, please contact a member of your care team, or contact us!