John Hodgkin, MD, medical director of the new hospitalist program. Courtesy photo.

CLEARLAKE – A new breed of doctors called “hospitalists” has arrived at Redbud Community Hospital, bringing specialized in-hospital care to patients.

Hospitalists are board-certified internists and family practice physicians who spend 100 percent of their time treating patients who are admitted to the hospital. Hospitalists maintain a close relationship with the patient's primary care physician and return the patient to their physician's care when discharged from the hospital.

“This allows the primary care physician to dedicate their time to caring for patients in their offices. If the primary care physicians choose to care for their patients during a hospitalization, they have that option,” said John Hodgkin, MD, medical director of the new program and a nationally renowned pulmonary medicine specialist honored as 2007 “Outstanding Clinician of the Year” by the California Thoracic Society. He is a board-certified pulmonary and critical care specialist who trained at the Mayo Clinic and has practiced at St. Helena Hospital since 1983.

“Studies have commonly shown improved patient care when hospitalist physicians assume responsibility for the care of inpatients. Hospitalist programs can also reduce the length of hospital stays and the need for readmissions,” he said. “It’s a win-win for inpatients, office patients and doctors.”

Hospitalists at Redbud admit and care for patients who come to the hospital through the emergency department or have been sent to the hospital by their primary care physician. Since hospitalists are based at Redbud full time, they can respond to the needs of patients and their families quickly. “This makes it possible for inpatients to be assessed quickly following their admission and whenever problems arise,” Dr. Hodgkin said.

For patients who have a primary care physician, close contact is maintained between the hospitalist, the patient’s physician, and the patient’s family. At the time of a patient’s discharge, the primary care physician is given key information including required medication and follow-up care instructions.

Redbud’s program is similar to the two-year-old hospitalist program at St. Helena Hospital, where patient satisfaction scores are among the highest in the area. “We believe the hospitalist program at Redbud will have a very positive impact on our patient satisfaction and our quality of care,” said Linda Gibson, senior vice president of operations, who has expressed a goal of making Redbud “the best critical access hospital in the country.”

Redbud operates the program through a partnership with TeamHealth Hospital Medicine, a division of TeamHealth, the nation's largest provider of clinical outsourcing services to more than 500 hospitals.

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