Hospitalist Program
The Hospitalist Program consists of hospitalist physicians who are dedicated, board certified physicians. Most are trained in Internal Medicine, while some have other fields of training. These physicians provide high quality care for patients while they are in the hospital, as well as provide medical consultation for other hospital services. Not having an office practice and remaining in the hospital all day allows the hospitalist physician to respond to the patients' needs in a timely manner. The hospitalist physicians not only focus on patient care but maintain excellent communication between patients, nurses, care managers, families and referring physicians.
The benefits of having the hospitalist physicians caring for the patient while in the hospital include:
- Ensuring patient safety during hospitalization
- Timely medical expertise
- Fast response when there is a need for labs and tests and when an emergency situation arises
- Easy access to a physician for patients and families during daytime hours
- Patient and family focused communication
- Enhanced patient understanding of their care
- More efficient and timely inpatient care
- The patients' care plan will be coordinated with the primary care physician and specialists
- Medical consultation is provided on surgical and trauma patients
- Availability after the patient is discharged in case of problems, especially before follow-up appointments
Mission of the Hospitalist Program
- To promote a "patient safe" clinical environment
- To promote high quality, efficient, comprehensive, compassionate inpatient care
- To redefine and improve the standard of inpatient care including seamless communication across multiple settings
- To excel as educators in conveying the principles of evidence-based inpatient medicine to students, residents, colleagues, and patients
- To become national leaders in hospitalists medicine and agents of change in quality improvement initiatives, patient safety, and clinical education
