Program Facilitates Improved Access To SH
Healthcare In The Region

At a time when many hospitals are cutting services and programs, SH has added a major program designed to provide faster and easier access to our hospitals. Known as a Hospitalist Program, it is staffed by highly skilled internal medicine doctors who care exclusively for hospitalized patients. These doctors do not have their own independent practice, but rather are on the hospital staff and are available 24-hours a day, seven days a week to care for inpatients.

A hospitalist program offers benefits to patients as well as to local and regional referring doctors. It is a way to provide improved access to our hospitals, especially for patients who do not have a family doctor and who come into the Emergency department needing to be admitted to the hospital. For doctors it provides easy referral and admission for their patients without them having to come into the hospital. And because a hospitalist is always in the hospital, it helps streamline admissions from the Emergency room to an inpatient bed. This streamlined process allows for earlier intervention for the patient’s medical needs and this, in turn, often results in a shorter length of stay for these patients.”

An Extension Of The Family Doctor’s Office

Hospitalist programs have been in existence for several years. Currently there are some 4,500 hospitalists and their numbers are expected to increase to 19,000 in the next several years. All our hospitalists are board certified in Internal Medicine.

Thomas E. Cullen, D.O., a board certified Internal Medicine doctor, joined SHS’s Hospitalist Program in January 2003 and serves as medical director.

A hospitalist does not replace an individual’s family doctor, but rather is meant to extend that doctor’s care. Hospitalist work closely with the patient’s family doctor and also consult and coordinate care with various specialists called in to see patients. Once the patient is discharged, they go back to his or her family doctor and that doctor receives a detailed record of the patient’s care and treatment. The family doctor is also kept abreast of the patient’s progress throughout the course of hospitalization.

And because of the hospitalists’ 24-hour availability, both the hospital and our patients benefit from:

• Enhanced communication between members of the healthcare teams.
• Better coordination of patient care and improved outcomes.
• Increased availability for medical consultation and surgical clearance.
• Additional medical support to respond to cardiopulmonary and other in-hospital emergencies.
• Additional teaching support for residents in our Family Practice Residency Program.
• Improved availability to address patient/family needs and concerns.

Doctors who wish to reach one of our hospitalists may call toll free at 888-352-6016, 24-hours a day, seven days a week.