Reid notes launch of hospitalist program
Area physicians have new partners, and hospital patients – especially those without a primary care physician – have direct access to a doctor through the new hospitalist service at Reid Hospital & Health Care Services.
"A hospitalist is a physician employed by the hospital, one whose practice is caring for patients already admitted. Reid hospitalists work with emergency department physicians, the primary care physician, and any necessary specialists to provide a seamless transition from admission to discharge to outpatient follow-up," said Thomas Huth, M.D., Reid's vice president for medical affairs.
"Hospitalists provide care 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and are accessible throughout a patient's hospital stay," Dr. Huth emphasized. "They know every specialty and department in the hospital and are in the hospital all day, ready to assist. During critical and stressful moments, hospitalist physicians will provide honest and considerate answers and will discuss patient care and family concerns when the primary care physician is not available."
Carrie Gettinger, RN, hospitalist nurse director and a former Reid nurse, now works for Inpatient Management Inc., a company that specializes in operating hospitalist programs. She reports Reid's program has made an impressive start.
"We've supervised the care of 207 patients in the first two months," Gettinger said. "We're staffing up to a team of six hospitalists, organized in two sections of three doctors. Each section will work seven days on, seven days off."
Launched in early February, the program has increased patient satisfaction since a hospitalist is available at any time, day or night, to visit with a patient and speak with the patient's family. In addition, if there's an emergency during hospitalization, physicians are on the premises and can see the patient right away, said Morgan Moncada, M.D., the lead hospitalist for Reid's program.
Dr. Moncada, fellowship-trained in hospital medicine, noted he expects the length of hospital stays to decrease as the ready availability of hospitalists increases the efficiency of the hospital care process.
"Our hospitalist unit helps referring doctors because they have had to come to the hospital to see patients and juggle that with their duties in their offices," Dr. Moncada said. "The benefit to the patient is that there is a doctor in the hospital, ultimately 24 hours a day, to take charge of care."
Now supervising 20 to 25 patients a day, the Reid unit at full establishment will be able to handle 50, according to Gettinger.
"We accept referrals from clinics, out-of-area practices and other hospitals," Gettinger said. "So far, that's been the most of our case load."
The hospitalist staff remains in touch with each patient's primary-care physician, sending faxes, providing updates, and asking for additional information when needed. Some physicians who use the program continue to visit their patients, and all remain involved with their care.
When the program is fully implemented, primary care physicians will be able to admit patients and refer them to the Reid hospitalist team for complete in-hospital care. Another of Reid's new hospitalists, Stephen Epperson, M.D., gave up a 15-year private practice to assume a new role in Reid's program. He said he knows first-hand how stretched physicians can be as they strive to balance their duties to their patients in the hospital and obligations to patients in their office.
Recently, three other Reid Medical Staff members, David DeSantis, M.D., Windel Stracener, M.D. and Janet Meckley M.D., have joined the hospitalist program from their area practices.
"The patient in the hospital can be seen by hospitalists any time of day that they need to be seen," Dr. Epperson said. "I'm confident this program will improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our whole medical community."
The program is benefiting also those Reid patients, up to 1,500 yearly, who, when hospitalized, do not have a primary care physician. In the past, they have been cared for by doctors from an on-call physician pool. The hospitalist program alleviates the need for those doctors to take on patients not already in their care.
Besides managing Reid's program, Gettinger will also be involved in its marketing and communication outreach.