Hospital Medicine

What Is Hospital Medicine?

An acute onset of disease, or a sudden injury, will throw anyone’s life out of balance. Add the word “hospital” to the equation, and stress, anxiety and worries amplify, especially when we are unfamiliar with the setting, and not sure who is in charge of our care. Doctors who practice hospital medicine (“hospitalists”) are experts in managing the clinical problems of acutely ill and hospitalized patients. They also work to improve hospitals and healthcare systems with their prompt, complete attention to the needs of patients, and ability to collaborate and coordinate care.

How We Are Different

Our hospitalists—practitioners whose primary professional focus is hospital medicine— are there for you in moments when life includes a trip to, and stay at the hospital. We focus on patient care, teaching, research, and leadership related to hospital care. Like emergency medicine, hospital medicine is organized around a site of care—the hospital—rather than a part of the body, disease, or patient’s age.

Our hospitalists coordinate care for you when you’re in the hospital. While reasons for your trip to the hospital may vary greatly, the following is a list of events for which are there to help:

• Heart Failure
• COPD
• Stroke
• Myocardial infarction
• Gastrointestinal bleeding
• Dementia

How do your hospitalists make a difference?

Our hospitalists play a significant role in a number of activities at PeaceHealth SWMC in Vancouver. In general, our activities include patient care, teaching, research, and leadership related to hospital care.

What benefits do you provide for patients?

Speed, consistency and expertise are among the main benefits we provide patients. Our hospitalists typically spend most or all of their workdays in the hospital, making us readily available when someone needs us. By focusing primarily on the care of hospitalized patients, we gain a greater deal of experience in the unique aspects of a patient’s needs during the hospital stay. We are grateful for our patients’ trust and reliance.

What type of experience do most hospitalists have?

Many of today’s hospitalists are board-certified internists who have undergone the same training as other internal medicine doctors—medical school, residency training, and board certification examination. Others are family practice doctors or specialists who may have previously focused on a specific type of care, part of the body, or age group.

Compassion and thoroughness are the hallmarks of our department. We understand how difficult a trip to the hospital can be for you and your family members. With us at your side, you’ll receive critical answers in the most difficult and delicate of moments.