What is a hospitalist?
A doctor whose primary professional focus is the general medical care of hospitalized patients.
Will my regular doctor still visit me?
Your primary doctor may elect to use the hospitalist program. Please discuss this with your primary care doctor.
Hospitalists are physicians whose practice is focused on the care of hospitalized patients. Hospitalists practice only in the hospital to provide continuous, coordinated care for patients of primary care physicians with busy practices. Our hospitalists also will be available to provide and coordinate care for patients who do not have a primary care physician.
Who takes care of me when I go home?
During your stay, your hospitalist and your primary care physician will communicate about your treatment. When it is time to go home, your primary care physician will become your primary source of care.
Why do we use hospitalists?
Hospitalists are usually able to spend more time with individual patients because they are available at the hospital 24 hours a day.
What if I don’t have a primary care physician?
The hospitalists will be available to provide and coordinate care during your hospital stay. Patients who do not have a primary care physician will work with the health care team to establish follow-up care.
Does this change how I am billed?
Patients should see no change in their billing status.
What are the positives of using a hospitalist?
Patient satisfaction with hospitalist programs is generally very high. At MercyOne Genesis-affiliated hospitals, patient satisfaction is in the 90th percentile.
Patients seen by hospitalists have been found to have a shorter than average length of stay.
Having a hospitalist program is becoming a common trend across the country. This includes many of our nations top hospitals. MercyOne Genesis Medical Center is a part of this trend.
