Page 13 - Langlade Hospital | Pathways Magazine | Winter 2013
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Hospitalists:
Providing
Continuity
of Care
HOSPITALISTS
Smart Care
Around the Clock
Whereas the average U.S. doctor
spends just 12 percent of his or her
time with hospitalized patients,
hospitalists often spend all of their
time in the hospital.
Q
What is fueling the growth of
hospital medicine?
The reasons for the growing
number of hospitalists in the U.S.
include:
➜
➜
An increase in the number of
hospitalized patients who need
highly specialized care.
➜
➜
A rise in the number of patients
with no primary care physician to
coordinate care.
➜
➜
A commitment from hospitals
to ensure safe, cost-effective,
high-quality medical care.
Partners in Health Care
Hospitalists are part of a hospital
team, but they also keep in close
contact with a patient’s primary
care physician by informing him
or her about the patients’ care and
progress.
HAVE YOU
heard about
hospitalists?
They’re a relatively new breed of
doctors who specialize in treating
hospitalized patients. And don’t be
surprised if you meet one the next
time you visit a loved one in the
hospital or if you’re admitted as a
patient yourself—hospital medicine
is one of the fastest growing
medical specialties in the country.
Not familiar with these
specialists? Read on to learn more.
Q
What are hospitalists?
They’re doctors who focus on
the care of acutely ill hospitalized
patients.
Q
How are they trained?
Most—almost 90 percent,
according to one survey—are
trained in internal medicine or
family practice.
Q
What are the benefits of
hospitalists for patients?
➜
➜
A team of hospitalists is usually
on-site 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week to provide care.
➜
➜
They can respond quickly to
emergencies or answer patients’
questions.
➜
➜
They know the hospital staff,
facilities and technology very well.
➜
➜
They are experts in their field.
Our Hospitalist team cares
for patients in the hospital
setting and is available
whenever needed—24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, including
holidays. Someone from the
team can usually respond to
an emergency because she is
already in the hospital. The
hospitalist always communicates
with the patient’s own primary
care provider. This continuity
of care provides primary care
providers with more information
and flexibility, and it has
improved both the safety and
quality of patient care overall.
Hospital medicine
is one of the fastest
growing medical
specialties in the
country.
Laura Haseganu, MD,
Hospitalist
Autumn Cole, Hospitalist,
Nurse Practitioner
Tanya Lechtev, MD, Director
of the Hospitalist Program
AS LANGLADE HOSPITAL
planned for its old
facility to close, the Antigo Area Community
Food Pantry was opening its doors on Superior
Street. Left behind in the old hospital were
commercial-size refrigerators and freezers that
could house the food donations at the newly
established Food Pantry. “Assisting those in
need has always been the mission of Langlade
Hospital,” says Bonnie Hessedal, board
member of the Antigo Area Community Food
Pantry and Registered Dietitian at Langlade
Hospital. “We were happy to help out such a
worthwhile program while also helping those in
our community.”
Hospital’s Donation Helps Food Pantry
If you meet a hospitalist, don’t
be afraid to ask questions. They are
committed to quality and safety in
the hospital and are here to help
you.
Source: Society of Hospital Medicine
• Pathways
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