Dr. Lisa Scheppers was guest on News Extra Tuesday morning.   She was here to tell us all about the "Hospitalist" program at Regional West Medical Center. 

Although a relatively new discipline, hospitalist programs are beginning to spring up around the country as a concrete way to enhance the care of hospitalized patients. Hospitalist programs offer many benefits for both the patient and their primary care and subspecialist physicians.

A hospitalist is typically a board certified internal medicine physician, although sometimes a family practitioner, who dedicates all of his or her time to caring for patients in the hospital setting. Their service is 24/7 which allows for a very close interaction with the patient, fast access and prompt action in the course of the patient’s hospitalization. Since they spend all their time at the hospital they can be at the patient’s bedside within minutes. A hospitalist physician is available to the patient and family as needed at any time.

The hospitalist concept allows the on-site physician to see patients as needed during their hospitalization. That means treatment can be adjusted based on test results and progress, making sure the patient has an appropriate length of stay. A more hands-on approach to care can also allow a provider to respond more quickly to any complications that arise. In addition, once your provider and care team feels you are well enough to be discharged, that process can be started in a timely fashion.