What is a Hospitalist?
Read more about specialized care for hospitalized patients
Hospitalist Program
It's an old idea but a new way of working developed over the past 15 years. Hospitalists are generalists, doctors who provide general and more holistic medical care to patients. And they're based within the hospital to focus on inpatient care. It's a discipline that developed in response to the increasing complexity and specialization of medical care.
“A hospitalist is a doctor who specializes in taking care of hospitalized patients in partnership with the individual’s family doctor,” said Tracy Reittinger, MD, St. Luke’s Hospitalist’s medical director. “Our hospitalist team works round-the-clock. Our main goal is to provide the right care at the right time for each patient. We want to help patients recover and return home as soon as possible.”
Your hospital stay
Your doctor may request the services of a St. Luke's Hospitalist while you're a hospital patient. St. Luke’s was the first hospital in Cedar Rapids to use hospitalists. There is also a pediatric hospitalist program caring for hospitalized children. St. Luke's state-of-the-art Pediatric Hospitalist program is led by James Matsuda, MD, a Board Certified pediatrician.
However, while you're in the hospital:
- Your doctor remains available for consultation.
- Your doctor is kept informed of your admission, discharge and any change in your condition.
- After discharge from the hospital, you will be seen by your regular doctor.
Caring for complex illnesses
The hospitalized patient population has a greater degree of illness than they have had in the past,” said Dr. Reittinger. “Hospitalists have expertise in caring for very complex patients. A hospitalist has specialized training to deal with these more difficult cases and is able to diagnose, treat and identify potential problems.”
You hospitalist will:
- Coordinate hospital care, including ordering diagnostic tests and establishing a treatment plan.
- Arrange for specialty care.
- Work with specialists for more coordinated, evidenced-based, compassionate care.
- Respond - during the day or night - to your needs and those of your family and nurses, resulting in fewer delays in care.
Constant communication
When you're released from St. Luke’s, your family doctor receives all of the medical records from your hospital stay. The hospitalist team arranges for close follow-up to ensure the ongoing treatment plan continues, even after you've left the hospital. The hospitalist team may call you at home to ensure you understand your newly prescribed medications and any plans for follow-up appointments. They'll check to make sure your health continues to improve.
“We want to alleviate any fears the family may have,” said Dr. Reittinger. “We communicate with the patient and their family so they always know what is happening with their care. We treat each patient as we would a family member – it’s our goal and it’s the mission of St. Luke’s Hospital.”
To learn more about the hospitalist program at St. Luke’s call 319/368-5970.
Contact us at
319/368-5970.
