Guest Columnist
by
James Volk, M.D.
MeritCare Hospitalist
What is a hospitalist?
Years ago, it was tradition: the same doctor who provided your clinic care oversaw your hospital care. Once, maybe twice a day, this doctor would check on you, making needed changes in your care. Patients liked this continuity —the comfort of someone familiar, but from a quality-of-care and safety standpoint, it wasn't the perfect arrangement. What would happen, for example, if a hospital patient's condition warranted more frequent doctor visits, but the doctor had a full schedule of patients at the clinic? Whose needs were met first?
As an internal medicine doctor who struggled with achieving this balance — doing what's best for clinic patients and hospital patients — I welcomed the hospitalist concept. A hospitalist is a doctor who specializes in the care of hospitalized patients, allowing primary care doctors to focus entirely on their clinic patients. Across the country the concept has taken off, and in the next five years, the number of hospitalists in the U.S. will likely increase by two to three times.
MeritCare implemented the hospitalist program seven years ago. Today, we have 16 hospitalists, all who are board-certified internal medicine doctors. They oversee the care of approximately 80 to 100 patients per day, often those with gastrointestinal issues, strokes and heart-related problems. A hospitalist myself, I also supervise the program.
Each MeritCare hospitalist guides a team of doctors, including consulting MeritCare specialists, medical residents from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine (the Internal Medicine Residency Program is based at MeritCare) and UND medical students. That's why it's not unusual for a team of three to four doctors to enter a patient's room. Initially, this may surprise patients because they don't often think of MeritCare as a teaching hospital, but soon they realize this approach translates to up-to-date, evidence-based care.
Hospitalists are also appreciated for their:
- Availability. In the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week, hospitalists are readily available to meet the needs of patients and communicate with families. They check on their patients frequently, and if an urgent medical need arises or if patients have a question or concern, they're present and they're ready.
- Coordination of care. Hospitalists focus on coordinated care for each patient, whether this involves ordering imaging studies, tracking test results or arranging for a consultation with a specialist. Know, too, that hospitalists keep primary care doctors informed of their patients' progress.
- Quality of care. Research has shown that the specialization and efficiency of hospitalists offer important benefits including shorter hospital stays, better outcomes and improved patient care.
If you have questions about MeritCare's hospitalist program or would like more information, please call (701) 234-2000 or (800) 437-4010 or visit meritcare.com (keyword: hospitalist).
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