What is a Hospitalist?
A Hospitalist is a physician who specializes in caring for patients in the hospital and who does not have an outpatient medical practice. Our physicians are Internal Medicine trained.
When will a patient see their primary care physician?
In many areas of the country, primary care physicians are referring their patients to a Hospitalist when their patients are sick enough that they can no longer be cared for in the outpatient setting. During the patient's hospital stay, a Hospitalist will see the patient. The patient will see their regular doctor soon after being discharged from the hospital.
Hospitalists Provide Many Benefits to Patients and Their Doctor
Hospitalists keep a close eye on patients.
In case of emergency, a Hospitalist is never very far away. That's because he or she works in the hospital and will see the patient more than once a day, if needed. A Hospitalist knows every specialist and department in the hospital. Hospitalists assist patients through a smooth and speedy recovery process by following up on tasks and adjusting the treatment regimen throughout the day based on those test results.
Hospitalists answer family questions.
Hospitalists are available to provide answers in person whenever possible. During critical and stressful moments, they provide honest and considerate answers to family questions. There's no time more important to communicate about the patient's care than when they are critically ill.
Hospitalists help primary care doctors to be more available to patients.
Because Hospitalists are in the hospital all day, they can be with patients in the office with fewer delays and interruptions. Primary care doctors will be able to devote more time to keeping patients and their families healthy. For many patients and physicians, working with a Hospitalist team is a win/win proposition. Using a Hospitalist team enables our primary care physician to be more available to patients in the office and enables the Hospitalist to be more available to care for patients when they are the sickest. With a physician available at all hours of the day and night, it's easier for patients and their families to communicste about their illness.
How does the Hospitalist know about patients?
Hospitalists talk to primary care physicians on a frequent basis. At the time of a patient's admission to the hospital, the primary care physician calls the Hospitalist and informs him or her of the patient's condition and sends over records to provide as much information as possible about the patient's illness. The process is similar to what a pysician does when he or she refers the patient to a specialist for another opinion or for additional tests and treatment.