• E-mail
• Print
• RSS

Hospitalists increase value via leadership posts

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, November 22, 2006

An article in the January 2006 issue of Chicago Hospital News reported that hospitalists continue to expand their influence at hospitals large and small.

The article, written by IPC-The Hospitalist Company's (www.thehospitalistcompany.com) executive director Rene Toledo, notes that hospitalists are increasing their worth by participating on various medical staff committees and holding elected medical staff positions.

Toledo writes, "Because hospitalists have no outpatient practice and instead focus 100% of their attention and medical skills on inpatient care, they offer unique insights into what needs improving and what the hospital and its medical staff can do to better serve their patients." More than any other physician, hospitalists are obliged to act as catalysts for quality improvement and overall organization change in areas such as

• patient safety
• palliative care
• information technology improvement

As a result of their unique role, Toledo predicts that hospitalists will increasingly work with hospital leaders to improve patient care at their respective facilities. In turn, he calls for hospital leaders (e.g., vice presidents of medical affairs, chiefs of staff, etc.) to place more hospitalists on key committees to facilitate positive change.

To read the full article, click here.

• E-mail to a Colleague
• Print
• RSS
• Archive