Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/148059
Executive Briefing: Specialty Hospitalists 50 2. Allow private practice physicians more time at home. Specialty hospitalists take on more ED call time, because of which hospitals do not need to depend on private practice physicians for ED call duties. This gives private practice physicians more free time, which they often elect to spend at home. Having enough time with their family is particularly important for younger physicians, says Dr. Lin, and having a specialty hospitalist program in place may, in fact, help hospitals recruit younger physicians. The fact that physicians do not have to be on-call in the ED due to the presence of specialty hospitalists could become an effective recruiting tool for the hospital, adds Mr. Krumanocker. EDs have to deal with high patient volumes and high-acuity cases, hospitalists can provide invaluable services in helping ensure the safety of patients. Given the fact that most hospital EDs have to deal with high patient volumes and high-acuity cases, hospitalists can provide invaluable services in helping ensure the safety of patients. 3. Help private practice physicians ensure better care for their patients. According to Dr. Lin, specialty hospitalists can enhance patient safety since they can step in and take care of a patient until the private practice physician arrives. This is particularly true in the case of labor and delivery, where patients sometimes need to deliver quickly, he says. Given the fact that most hospital 5. Help combat physician shortages. Only 4.8 percent of physicians practice in rural areas, according to a study by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. It is harder to retain or recruit physicians in smaller areas, says Dr. Lin, and in communities Surgical Hospitalists Always On-Call Ground-breaking programs that take the call burden off Surgeons. 888.741.7925 | teamhealth.com 4. Allow private practice physicians to focus on their primary interest. As the trend toward sub-specialization continues, private practice physicians sometimes lose interest in general procedures, says Mr. Krumanocker. Procedures involving fractures, for example, are the most common procedures performed by orthopedic hospitalists, he says. Many physicians are more comfortable performing procedures only within their own subspecialty, and specialty hospitalists can help them do so by taking over the fracture procedures, says Dr. Ehlert.