Source: The News-Enterprise
The Hardin Memorial Health hospitalist program experienced record growth in 2019 with the addition of five new physicians, according to a recent news release.
New HMH Medical Group hospitalists are Brandon Coons, M.D., Daniel Fioret, M.D., Nick Klimchak, M.D., Denis Suler, D.O., and Eric Oberst, M.D. This brings the total number of hospitalists employed by HMH to 21.
The release said hospitalists are internal medicine and family practice physicians and physician assistants who specialize in the general medical care. When a patient is admitted, the hospitalist takes responsibility for the patient’s care for the duration of the stay.
To ensure seamless care, hospitalists work closely with HMH specialists from pulmonary and critical care, general surgery, cardiology, urology and other specialties in addition to the patient’s personal physician or advanced practice clinician. Following discharge, patient care returns to the primary physician or advanced practice clinician.
“The HMH hospitalist program ensures that a physician is available to the patient 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Dr. John Huff, medical director of HMH Hospitalist Group, said in the release. “Our hospitalists understand the unique challenges to providing care to patients while they are in the hospital.”
The hospitalist model of care has grown in the health care industry in recent years, the release said. HMH implemented the program in 2012 to improve quality, patient safety and efficiency of care and in an effort to reduce readmission rates.
Based on its success, the release said HMH plans to continue recruiting physicians and advanced practice clinicians for the program in 2020.
“Hospital medicine is unique and our hospitalists work hard to provide comprehensive, cohesive care to patients while they are admitted at HMH,” said Sheila Smallwood, assistant vice president of HMH Medical Group.
