When a patient is admitted to the hospital, they are often cared for by a hospitalist. A hospitalist is similar to a patient’s primary care provider (PCP) but provides care solely in the inpatient hospital setting. Columbus Regional Health formed our Hospitalist Program in 2008 in response to a growing population’s healthcare needs and for primary care providers, who were rounding on their patients in the hospital, to have more time to provide care in their outpatient clinics.
CRH employs 18 hospitalists, including 12 physicians and six advanced practice providers. Eight work during the day, four work overnight, and one spans both shifts to ensure continuous coverage and care. Each hospitalist typically cares for 14 to 18 patients a day. They are in contact with the patient’s PCP and document all details of the patient’s stay in the patient’s electronic medical record for the PCP to see. Because of this close collaboration, when a patient is discharged to the outpatient setting, the transition is seamless.
Hospitalists work 12 hours a day for seven straight days and then are off for seven days. It is a schedule Hospitalist Emily Banaschak, DO, likes. “I like that when I’m off, I’m off. I’m not responsible for returning calls,” she said. She also enjoys seeing test results instantly to be able to quickly respond accordingly. Hospitalist James Martin, MD, agrees. “I enjoy the instant gratification of seeing an issue that could be life-threatening, saving that life, and seeing that person go off and be better off for it,” he said.
In her role as Hospitalist Medical Director Barb McLean, MD, provides patient care, supports the other hospitalists, develops and implements policies and procedures, and helps ensure quality standards are met. She is also involved in strategic planning, staffing, and quality improvement initiatives to further enhance the program's effectiveness. “Being a hospitalist allows me to combine my passion for medicine with the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of those in need,” she said.
As Dr. Banaschak puts it, inpatient medicine has “become its own beast,” distinctive from outpatient medicine, and hospitalists are the right people to manage people’s inpatient care. “Patients are in good hands. There’s a special kind of medicine needed in the hospital that requires a full-time hospitalist to manage an inpatient well,” she said.
Along with providing high-quality care, hospitalists must consistently communicate across multiple groups. “A big part of our job is communication – to the patients, family, between specialists, nurses, and others – and coordinate a smooth transition into the outpatient world at discharge,” said Dr. Banaschak.
Communication was critical during the COVID-19 pandemic when hospitalists often had to reach out to families to relay important information when visitation restrictions were in place. Hospitalists were also involved in COVID-19 preparedness and response and caring for patients in new ways. “Because the hospitalist cares for a large population, we end up leading a lot of these changes or facing the emergencies a bit more,” said Dr. Martin.
Dr. Martin said one unique aspect of the CRH hospitalist program is the providers have a high degree of respect and trust for each other. “Because we have so much respect and trust for one another, when your patient is cared for by our hospitalist group, you have the brains of several providers participating. We will consult with each other. You are getting a solid product,” he said.