What is a Hospitalist?

A Hospitalist is a physician, nurse practitioner (APRN-NP), or physician assistant (PA-C) with advanced training in Internal Medicine. Hospitalists care for patients while they are hospitalized.

How does a Hospitalist Service work?

At Regional West, our primary care providers and specialists have the option of partnering with the Hospitalist Service to manage their patients' medical care during a hospital stay. This relationship is built on trust and communication.

The Hospitalist Care Team:

• Is in contact with your primary care provider when you are admitted.
• Provides your primary care provider with updates on your progress as necessary during your hospital stay.
• Will notify your regular provider when you are discharged and provide a full report of your care while hospitalized. Your primary care provider will then assume responsibility for your ongoing care.

How does the Hospitalist Service benefit me as an inpatient?

The Hospitalist Care Team:

• Is always located in or near the hospital. A Hospitalist provider is only moments away from your bedside if a medical emergency develops during your stay.
• Will discuss, with you, your plan of care as well as any changes in treatment that may be needed during your hospitalization based on progress, lab results, or new developments in your condition.
• Is always readily available to answer any questions from you and your family.
• Will continually prepare and make adjustments to a discharge plan that is tailored to you-ensuring that you receive the care you need without spending any more time away from home than necessary.
• Is never concerned about getting back to a busy clinic setting, because they don't have one! You, as a hospital patient, are their only concern.

How does the Hospitalist Service benefit me as an outpatient?

Many primary care providers must split their time between their duties at the clinic and their patients in the hospital. However, if your primary care provider is partnering with the Hospitalist Service, you no longer have to worry about him or her being called to the hospital for an emergency*, extending your wait time in the clinic, or shortening the time he or she gets to spend with your during your appointment.

Should I continue seeing my primary care provider after hospitalization?

Absolutely! In fact, the Hospitalist Service highly recommends that you see your primary care provider soon after discharge and will even help you set up an appointment.

What if I don’t have a primary care provider?

The Hospitalist Service will recommend a provider and assist you with setting up an appointment before you are discharged from the hospital. Since ongoing care is necessary for good health, we strongly encourage everyone to establish a primary care provider for health screenings, preventative care, and routine checkups.

Why did Regional West implement a Hospitalist Service?

At Regional West, we are always looking to the future for new ways to provider our patients with the best care possible. Hospitals throughout the nation are implementing this kind of service and we believe it is a wonderful way to improve our patient care. As explained above, both inpatients and outpatients benefit significantly when an organization implements a Hospitalist Service.

*Exceptions: Maternity and Pediatrics. Hospitalists do not deliver babies or care for children who are 17 and younger.

Appointment No-Shows and Late Arrivals-It is the policy of Regional West Physicians Clinic to monitor and manage appointment no-shows and late appointments. Any patient who arrives 15 minutes after their scheduled appointment time is considered late for his or her appointment. Regional West Physicians Clinic will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the patient within the patient session or to reschedule the patient at the earliest possible time, based on the nature of the presenting reason for the visit and the patient’s wishes.