St. Joseph's implements hospitalist program

April 27, 2010

When a patient is admitted to St. Joseph's Area Health Services, they will be greeted by a physician who exclusively specializes in caring for hospitalized patients.

The new hospitalist program means that many patients will now be managed by a physician with specialized training in hospital medicine. The hospitalist physician will be in close touch with patients, their families and the patient's primary care physician. Their availability will allow enhanced continuity of care in that one hospitalist will be on staff at St. Joseph's from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. for an entire week before the next hospitalist arrives for a week-long shift.

A hospitalist's role is to manage the course of hospital care for patients, coordinate and consult with other specialists in regard to care, closely monitor a patient's progress and communicate with a patient's primary care physician.

"Hospitalists will be at our facility exclusively to admit and discharge patients, conduct patient rounds, meet with families, follow up on tests, answer staff questions and deal with unforeseen circumstances as they arise," says Deb Haagenson, St. Joseph's Vice President of Patient Care. If, for example, a patient comes to the emergency department during the day and requires hospitalization, the hospitalist will be readily available to handle their admission.

Haagenson states that St. Joseph's always seeks to look for ways to build on quality, efficiencies and satisfaction for hospital patients and their families. "The availability of a hospitalist at St. Joseph's is an opportunity to deliver a number of very positive outcomes and enhance the quality of care for our patients," she says.

At the time of admission under the hospitalist program, a patient's primary care physician has the option of coordinating the patient's hospital care with a hospitalist and sends records providing information regarding treatment and care. The experience is similar to being referred to a specialist for additional tests or treatment.

During the course of hospitalization, the hospitalist and primary care physician may talk further regarding treatment. At discharge, the hospitalist again communicates to the primary care physician to discuss case specifics and a treatment plan, helps arrange follow-up care, transfer records and prescribe necessary medications.

"Primary care physicians can still follow their patient's care since the hospitalist is in communication with them," Haagenson adds. A benefit for clinic patients is that physicians will have more availability to devote to their clinic practice.

Innovis Health Park Rapids internal medicine specialists, Dr. John Lageson, MD, and Dr. Larry Leadbetter, MD, PhD, FACP, are among two hospitalists who will each devote a week every month to care for hospital patients. Other credentialed hospitalists will arrive from a contracted agency. (Most hospitalists are general internal medicine or family medicine physicians; however, some are trained as specialists in pulmonary/critical care medicine, cardiology or other subspecialties.)

"Healthcare is always changing, so we have to evolve with it," says Dr. Leadbetter. "The hospitalist program will give patients more continuity of care while in the hospital because one physician will be attending to the patient for a week at a time, and can coordinate the transfer of care for patients while communicating patient status and treatment with their primary care physician."

Dr. Lageson gives high praise for the quality care provided by primary care physicians at St. Joseph's.

"I see the new hospitalist program as a way to continue that same compassionate care while giving hospital patients continuity of care by having the same hospitalist physician for an entire week," Dr. Lageson says. "A hospitalist specializes in treating hospital patients, and it's important that there is good communication between the hospital and primary care physicians," He notes that many hospitals surrounding St. Joseph's service area have hospitalist programs in place.

Dr. Leadbetter and Dr. Lageson will maintain their clinical practice at Innovis Health Park Rapids, however, their availability may be reduced somewhat.

Dr. John Lageson has been with St. Joseph's since 1990. A native of St. Paul, he graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in Minneapolis and completed his residency at Mayo Medical School in Rochester. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and serves as St. Joseph's Hospice Medical Director and Medical Chair for Innovis Health Park Rapids.

Dr. Larry Leadbetter has been with St. Joseph's since 1993. A native of Finley, ND, he graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine in Grand Forks, ND, with an MD in internal medicine and PhD in physiology. He completed his residency at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines. He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He is a board member for Innovis Health System and serves as Infection Prevention Medical Advisor for St. Joseph's.

The hospitalist program is a part of St. Joseph's vision to stay current with changes in healthcare and is another example of its commitment to providing high quality care for its patients.