Tampa Hospitalists

What Is a Hospitalist?

What is a hospitalist?

With over 48,000 practicing hospitalists nationwide, the field of hospital medicine has grown rapidly since its inception in the late 1990s. Today, hospitalists work in 90% of US hospitals with over 200 beds.1 A hospitalist coordinates a patient’s care while he or she is in the hospital. Hospitalists are responsible for answering patient questions, coordinating care between specialists, and evaluating test results. While hospitalists, most of whom are trained in internal medicine, do not replace primary care physicians, they do help ensure the entire hospitalization process runs as smoothly as possible.

Just as a primary care physician oversees a patient’s overall health and makes referrals to specialists, a hospitalist coordinates a patient’s care in the hospital. Hospitalists are essentially the quarterback of the medical team and coordinate care for patients that come into the hospital.

Our hospitalists are all internal medicine specialists and are trained to evaluate the entire patient, rather than focusing on one particular organ or disease. We not only look for signs of disease, but also what is happening in a patient’s personal life. We listen and learn how the patient is doing and what is important to them.

Learn more about the history of hospital medicine.

[1] Messler J. A History of the Hospitalist Movement. Obstet Gynecol Clin North Am. Published September 2015.

Hospitalists provide care around the clock

One advantage of using hospitalists is 24/7 care we provide, including weekends and holidays. At the hospitals and facilities we serve a physician is always on staff in the evening and overnight. There are usually four hospitalists making rounds during the day.

We focus on quality of care for in-patients, and provide a crucial information bridge between patients, their physicians and the hospital staff. We are here to evaluate tests and progress as it occurs throughout a patient’s hospitalization. If there is an issue, day or night, we are able to respond to it quickly.

Hospitalists provide a more efficient hospital visit

Since 2003, when changes in internal medicine residency requirements instituted by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education mandated work hour limits and an increased concentration on outpatient training, the need for hospitalists has only grown. Hospital medicine is currently the fastest growing US medical specialty. TBIM Hospitalists pride ourselves on seeing the big picture of the hospitalization process. Our long experience and robust relationships in the hospitals we serve allow us to introduce efficiencies and greater coordination of care that ultimately benefits patients.

Partner with TBIM Hospitalists

We work at every major hospital, nursing center, and rehabilitation center in the Tampa area, ensuring smooth transitions between health care settings for your patients. With TBIM taking good care of your inpatients, you can grow your practice without sacrificing quality of care.