Hospitalist programs throughout the US have become an accepted
trend in patient care. Saline Memorial Hospital implemented
the Hospitalist program in 2005 to better coordinate and
ensure the continuity of care for patients from admission to
discharge.
What is a Hospitalist? Hospitalists are physicians with a
background in Internal Medicine who specialize in the
treatment and management of hospitalized patients. They
practice within the hospital, therefore increasing physician
access.
Because Hospitalist physicians are familiar with all
hospital systems and procedures, they are able to expedite
processes and better facilitate connections between hospital
caregivers.
However, Hospitalists do not replace the patient’s primary
care physician. Instead, they provide a valuable service
which allows primary care physicians to focus on seeing
patients in their office rather than being called away to
the hospital.
Communication between the Hospitalist and referring
physicians is of great importance at SMH. The primary care
provider supplies the Hospitalist with valuable information
about a patient’s medical history, medications and special
needs. In return, the Hospitalist consults with the primary
care provider and maintains regular communication during a
patient’s stay.
SMH currently has three full-time Hospitalists on staff and
will soon move to Hospitalist model with four physicians.
|
