Welcome to the Central Florida Hospitalist Partners blog! We’re glad you’re here. We intend to publish posts that are interesting and informative on the subject of hospitalist care.
We understand that our branch of medicine is new to many people. For that reason, we’ve decided our first few posts will answer questions we are asked most frequently by our patients. So, here goes…
What is a hospitalist?
A hospitalist is a physician who specializes in caring for hospitalized patients. Most hospitalists are board certified either in internal medicine or family medicine.
Hospitalists do not have outside practices or offices. They are onsite at the hospital, typically working in a team so they can provide 24/7 care to their patients.
How do hospitalists improve a patient’s care?
Because hospitalists work exclusively in the hospital, they are experts at getting things done in the hospital environment. They know how to coordinate the procedures, processes and people to expedite a patient’s care.
Hospitalists are on premises 24/7 to make decisions throughout the day, reducing waiting time for the patient and helping speed recovery. On average, hospitalists are able to safely discharge their patients 30% sooner than they would otherwise be released.
What exactly does a hospitalist do?
Hospitalists function as your primary care doctor during your stay in the hospital. Among their many responsibilities are all of the following:
- Determine treatment and medications
- Decide when specialists are needed
- Expedite diagnostic tests and monitor results
- Communicate with patient’s primary physician
- Release patient from hospital when he/she is ready
- Be immediately accessible in case of emergency
Look for our next post where we’ll answer a few more of our most commonly asked questions. Central Florida Hospitalist Partners is your trusted source for accurate information on hospitalists!