TMH Physician Partners - Hospital-Based Care

A hospitalist is a physician who specializes in caring for hospitalized patients and acts as a primary care physician for the hospital. Because hospitalists do not maintain outside clinics, they can focus attention exclusively on your medical lcare inside the hospital.

Your hospitalist specializes in the kinds of acute medical conditions that need to be treated in the hospital. TMH also has a hospitalist in house 24 hours a day, seven days a week should a patient need urgent attention. The hospitalist can often help speed your recovery and shorten your hospital stay by following up on tests, adjusting your treatment throughout the day, and meeting with patients and families regularly to update plans of care.

Hospitalists at TMH round on patients consecutively to maximize patient continuity of care. However, as the hospitalists go off service at the end of their cycle, your care may be turned over to another hospitalist.

The hospitalist partners with your primary care doctor to administer and oversee your treatment while you are in the hospital, serving as your doctor until you are released. When you are discharged, your primary physician will resume your care. Reports from your inpatient stay will be sent to your primary physician upon your discharge. The hospitalist may consult with your primary physician as appropriate.

As with any other doctors visit, we encourage your family to be present when you are seen, to meet your caregivers and ask questions. Hospitalist physicians will see you at least once a day or more, if appropriate. It’s a good idea to record your questions on a notepad for quick reference in later discussions with your family and your doctor. Family members may contact the hospitalist(s) through the hospital’s nursing staff.

The hospitalist and other staff at the hospital can assist you in finding a doctor after you leave the hospital. Records from your hospital stay can be sent to this doctor.

TMH Physician Partners - Hospital-Based Care has been taking care of patients for over ten years and have established a schedule that maximizes physician and patient continuity. At first, you will be matched with the hospitalist that is available at the time of your admission. In addition, there are physician assistants and advanced registered nurse practitioners specializing in hospital medicine that work under the supervision of the hospitalist and assist in patient care.