Hospitalists Program

What is a hospitalist?

The hospitalist program is a relatively new hospital initiative, and consists of physicians who dedicate all their time to in-hospital care of patients. Elliot employs six board-certified internists, who provide 24/7 coverage to our patients and medical staff.

Hospitalists offer a variety of services to Elliot’s medical staff, ranging from admission only, to total in-hospital care. In addition, hospitalists care for all unassigned emergency department patients that are referred by an on-call primary care provider.

Patients will retain their primary care physician or internist and can be seen by a hospitalist as a complement to their care at Elliot Hospital. For example, if a patient comes into the emergency room and their primary care physician is unavailable, the hospitalist can be called to evaluate and treat the patient. For continuity of care, the hospitalist will then notify the primary care physician and work together on treatment.

What are the benefits to the patient?

At Elliot Hospital, we continually strive to provide the best in patient care and the hospitalist program is an example of this. Hospitalists are on-site to immediately respond to a change in a patient’s condition and to discuss issues with family members. Elliot’s hospitalists are also available for mid-day discharges.

Can the hospitalist become my primary care provider?

No. Patients retain their primary care provider. The hospitalists’ time is dedicated to Elliot’s inpatients
and they do not accept outside patients.