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Use physicians on staff as mentors

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, November 21, 2007

When it comes to teaching new hospitalists what they need to know to succeed in your organization, no one on the medical staff knows how to do this better than your current hospitalists. Consider giving them a large role in a new hospitalist's first week on the job, in addition to having them do the typical rounds with new staff hospitalists.

Mentoring also plays an important role in a hospitalist program's success. Carefully select a mentor for each new hospitalist-that person will help determine the overall success of the orientation experience. To facilitate a strong match, gather information about the new hospitalist and pair him or her with a mentor who shares a similar personality, background, work style, etc.

Finally, consider training your hospitalist mentors. This need not require a large time investment on the part of the mentor. It may simply entail orienting him or her about the standard issues to cover and providing a checklist of items that should be covered during the orientation period.

Learn more tips for running a successful hospitalist program inside Tools and Strategies for an Effective Hospitalist Program, by Jeffrey R. Dichter, MD, FACP and Kenneth G. Simone, DO, published by HCPro, Inc.

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