Mather’s hospitalists are doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who take the place of your primary care doctor while you are at Mather. Hospitalists provide round-the-clock medical care to patients. They are present at the hospital at all times and have no outside medical practices, which allows them to respond quickly to test results and to begin or change treatments. The results are shorter hospital stays and lower costs to patients. Hospitalist physicians and board certified nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide expert level care, and coordinate all aspects of the patient’s medical needs.
Hospitalists, who are board certified or board eligible, coordinate care with all specialists involved and with the overall healthcare team and provide patients with regular updates regarding their progress. The primary care physician is notified when the patient is admitted and when the patient is discharged. At discharge, the patient’s personal physician resumes his or her medical care.
One advantage of having a hospitalist manage a patient’s care is that they are highly expert in caring for complicated hospitalized patients. They are also more available to meet with family members, follow up on tests, answer nurses’ questions and simply deal with problems that may arise. In many instances, hospitalists may see a patient more than once a day to assure that care is going according to plan and to explain test findings to patients and family members.
Since the hospitalist’s “office” is the hospital, they are also more familiar with the hospital’s policies and activities. Many hospitalists are involved in various hospital committees and assist in improving important areas such as patient safety, medical error reduction, effective communication between physicians and staff, and cost effective patient care.