Hospitalists
Hospitalists are physicians who specialize in caring for hospitalized patients.
They do not maintain office hours outside of the hospital. In Butler,
as in many other areas of the country, primary care physicians refer patients
to a hospitalist when the patient is too ill to be cared for outside the hospital.
During your hospital stay, you may be seen by a hospitalist. You should
schedule an appointment with your regular doctor soon after discharge
from the hospital. Upon discharge, your physician is given a summary of
your course of treatment while in the hospital.
Hospitalists Provide Many Benefits to You and Your Doctor
Hospitalists keep a close eye on your health.
In case of emergency, your hospitalist is available 24 hours a day. Your
hospitalist knows every specialist and department in the hospital and
guides your treatment by following up on tests and adjusting treatment
regimens in an efficient and timely manner.
Hospitalists answer your family’s questions.
During critical and stressful moments, hospitalists provide answers to
your medical questions. Since hospitalists work only in the hospital,
they are able to spend more time talking to the patient and the family
about your care. They don’t have to get back to their office to
see other patients.
Hospitalists help your primary care doctor be more available to you.
For many patients and physicians, working with a hospitalist team is a
more efficient process. This enables your primary care physician to be
more available to you in the office, and enables the hospitalist to be
more available to care for you when you are at your sickest in the hospital.
How does the Hospitalist know about me?
Hospitalists communicate with your primary care physician as often as needed
during your hospitalization regarding treatment. Like your physician,
the hospitalist will have access to your Butler Memorial Hospital electronic
medical records. The process of entrusting your care to a hospitalist
is similar to what your physician does when he or she refers you to a
specialist for additional tests or treatment.