Hospitalist Program
MGH’s Hospitalist Program
is dedicated to inpatient care. Advantages to the Hospitalist
program include:
- Hospitalist physicians are available at MGH 24 hours a
day, Friday evenings through Monday mornings.
- Hospitalist physicians are available throughout the weekend
for family or patient concerns.
- Timely diagnostic interpretations ensure no delay in medical
decision making.
- Prompt and appropriate communication with your primary
care physician during the inpatient stay ensures a smooth
transition to follow-up care after hospital discharge.
Hospitalist physicians provide a number of vital services
at MGH depending on what would best serve the needs of the
patient:
- Care for patients who are admitted through the Emergency
Department
- Admission and care of patients who are admitted by their
primary physicians to the hospital.
- Consultations for medical conditions for patients under
sub-specialty care
(such as Orthopaedic Surgery patient).
- Hospitalists services are provided to patients 18 years
of age or older.
If your primary physician utilizes Hospitalist services for
your inpatient admission, you can be confident that your primary
care physician will be informed of the details of your stay – from
admission through discharge. It is the goal of the Hospitalist
Program to get patients healthy and back to their own doctors
for follow-up care, as quickly as possible. If you have any questions, please contact MGH at (360) 426-1611
(from Belfair, 275-8614).
Q What is a Hospitalist?
A A Hospitalist is a physician who specializes in
the care of hospitalized patients and practices in the hospital,
not an office.
Q What is the role of a Hospitalist during my inpatient
stay?
A The Hospitalist’s job is to help stabilize
and then improve your health as quickly as possible. Hospitalists
coordinate care with a team of nurses, specialists and other
healthcare professionals to provide prompt, personal attention.
Q How do the Hospitalists work with
my physician?
A If your primary physician – or out-of area
physician – utilizes the Hospitalist services for your
inpatient stay, communication wit your primary
physician will occur from admission to discharge. The Hospitalist
will also communicate with any specialist physician, as applicable.
Q What are the benefits of having
a Hospitalist?
A A Hospitalist is available at MGH Friday evenings
through Monday mornings. Hospitalists offer not only compassionate
but timely care. Whether you have a question or you need
urgent medical attention, Hospitalists are available to meet
your needs. Hospitalists are devoted to the care of hospitalized
patients, which means they are available for personal discussions
with you about your care. Hospitalists are specialists
in the care of hospitalized patients much the same way that cardiologists
are specialists in the care of the heart.
Q What changes can I expect during a hospital stay?
A If a Hospitalist is assigned to you, the most
obvious change will be that your primary care physician will
not be providing the inpatient care – the Hospitalist will. Hospitalists
manage all aspects of the patient’s care from time of admission
until discharge from the hospital. They see patients in
the ER, on the medical/surgical floor, in ICU’s, as well
as in the hospital-based transitional/swing bed units.
Q How will I be billed for the Hospitalist
service?
A If a Hospitalist physician sees you while at MGH,
you will receive separate charges for the inpatient physician
and/or consultative services from this service.
Q After I am discharged, and before
I see my regular physician in his/her office for a post-hospital
visit, who do I call if I have a question?
A During your admission and through discharge, contact
the Hospitalist with your questions. After discharge, contact
your primary care physician. Remember, our Hospitalists
provide information throughout your inpatient stay to your regular
physician. Your physician should therefore be able to answer
your questions.
Q What if I do not have a regular
physician?
A When a patient does not have a regular physician
and has a medical condition that requires hospitalization, the
patient will be seen by the Hospitalist’s staff while an
inpatient. Prior to discharge, any needed referrals, and
a post-hospital follow-up appointment with an area physician
will be coordinated.
Q How long have Hospitalist programs
been around?
A MGH began its
Hospitalist program early in 2006; however, the Hospitalist trend
began nation-wide in the mid 1990’s. Hospital (Hopitalist)
Medicine is now the fastest-growing medical specialty in the
country, and is expected to continue to grow rapidly. Most
leading hospitals in the country offer a Hospitalist program.
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