Inpatient care requires plenty of coordination- a hospitalist is a valuable asset for meeting that need. Dr. Guillermo Modad, Director of Hospitalist Services, leads a team of physicians who provide care to patients in the hospital, and transition patients back to their homes or other care facilities.
What do hospitalists do?
Hospitalists work with a team of nurses, therapists, and other care providers to care for patients under the hospital’s roof. They can also help coordinate patient discharges or transfers to other facilities. “A huge part of our role as hospitalists is to communicate with patients and their families,” says Dr. Modad. “I enjoy creating those meaningful relationships, establishing trust, and taking a patient-centered approach to making care decisions.”
In smaller hospitals, versatility is important. From cardiac care to digestive issues and everything in between, a hospitalist treats a variety of conditions. Hospitalists work round-the-clock shifts, which provides continuity of care for patients. In the ICU and Medical/Surgical units, a patient’s status can change quickly, so having a hospitalist work with the same patients for multiple days ensures that even the smallest of changes don’t go unnoticed.
Why do hospitals have hospitalists?
Hospitalists improve care for hospitalized patients; they act as primary care providers within the hospital, coordinating with a patient’s regular doctor for continued care. A primary care provider has a longer history of observing the patient and knows their baseline for health, pre-existing conditions, and health changes over time. Exchanging information with that provider can expedite the hospitalist becoming acclimated to a patient’s condition, as well as direct care while in the hospital.
Hospitalists share chart information, discharge instructions and hospital prescriptions with the primary care provider via Epic, an electronic medical record. Sharing chart information ensures the patient has uninterrupted care upon leaving the hospital, and the primary care provider has a comprehensive report on the hospitalization for future reference.
The Future of Hospitalists at Pullman Regional
Pullman Regional Hospital started its hospitalist program in 2007. Many smaller hospitals don’t have such comprehensive programs, making Pullman unique. “The number of patients that are cared for in a critical access hospital, like Pullman Regional, is not nearly as many as the number of patients cared for at larger hospitals on a daily basis,” clarifies Dr. Modad. “It’s rare for a small hospital to have as robust of a hospitalist service as we have here.”
“Being a hospitalist in a small town is unique. You often see the same patients with ongoing medical problems, which means we can pick back up where we left off last time instead of starting back at square one,” says Dr. Modad.
Pullman Regional’s hospitalist service is 24/7. If you or your loved one finds themselves admitted to Pullman Regional Hospital, trust that the hospitalists team is experienced, knowledgeable, and diligent in ensuring quality inpatient care.
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