Hospitalist Program

Hospitalists are doctors who devote their practice to the care of hospitalized patients. The Hospitalist Group consists of physicians who are trained in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine and have experience in inpatient care. They see hospitalized patients who have been referred by a primary care doctor, emergency room doctor, or other physicians at the hospital. Hospitalists do not see patients outside the hospital.

St. Joe's has contracted with the Hospitalist Group to manage inpatients of the hospital. Community primary care physicians will enter agreements to use our facility’s Hospitalists to provide care for their patients during a hospital stay.

The Hospitalist will admit and attend to inpatients under their service. The Hospitalist will see their patients every day to direct treatment. The Hospitalist is available to patients and their family to answer questions and discuss medical care. The Hospitalist works at the hospital and is also “On Call” for emergencies that may arise.

The Hospitalist will make arrangements for any prescriptions a patient needs at discharge. Patients will be asked to make an appointment with their primary care physician (PCP) after discharge. Since Hospitalist do not have an outpatient practice, patients will not have an appointment to see the Hospitalist again after discharge. Patients may contact the Hospitalist after discharge if they have any questions about their hospital stay.

The two doctors work together. A Primary Care Physician (PCP) will provide information about a patient’s past health history to the Hospitalist, and the two doctors can discuss any significant findings or events.

A PCP that works with a Hospitalist will request that the Hospitalist be in charge of their patient’s care while in the hospital. When the patient is discharged, the patient will return to the care of the PCP.

Consultations from other physicians are necessary in some cases, and the Hospitalist will arrange for these as necessary. If a patient is seeing other doctors elsewhere, please let the Hospitalist know so he/she can keep all of the patient’s physicians informed about the patients hospital stay.

The Hospitalist Group will work with staff at the hospital to assist a patient find a doctor for follow up after discharge.