Our Approach
If a patient is admitted to a Franciscan Health hospital - through the emergency department or by referral from a primary care physician they may be seen by a hospitalist. Our hospitalists provide primary care services to all hospital patients, helping to enhance and ensure a comfortable stay and quality care. They do not take the place of a patient's primary care physician but serve as in-hospital support for a patient's primary care needs. Using hospitalist services enables primary care physicians to be readily available in their outpatient offices, whereby devoting more time to keeping patients and their families healthy.
Hospitalists closely manage surgical patients in cooperation with surgeons, starting with pre-operative assessments and continuing throughout the patient's hospital stay to address any non-surgical issues that may arise. This approach reduces the risk of surgical complications.
Upon discharge, the hospitalist will work to assure a seamless transition between inpatient stay and outpatient medical care. Patients will be released to their primary care physician for ongoing care. Any questions or concerns following discharge from the hospital should be directed back to the primary care physician.
Benefits of Franciscan Health’s hospitalist program
- Work collaboratively with key hospital staff - medical and surgical consultants, discharge planners, clergy and other employees - which improves care.
- Respond rapidly to problems that may arise during patient care.
- Partner with primary care physicians in coordinating specialized medical treatment for individual patients.
What is a hospitalist?
Hospitalists are specially trained physicians who work inside the hospital to treat the complex medical needs of our sickest patients. Their expertise in caring for complex disease and illness processes, such as sepsis, heart failure and diabetes, as well as ailments of the lungs, kidneys and digestive systems, improves outcomes for our patients. Members of the hospitalist team are board-certified in internal medicine, pediatrics or other specialties.
Because our hospitalists work inside the hospital, they are available throughout each patient's stay to answer questions from the patient and their family as they coordinate care and make adjustments based on laboratory and X-ray results.
