WNC Hospitalist Services

How Does it Work?

The hospitalists at Harris Regional Hospital are in continuous contact with your primary care physician throughout your hospital stay. Your doctor and your hospitalist will consult about your case before admission and at the time of your discharge. Your primary care physician will have secure access to all of your medical records concerning your hospital stay and will be able to view your files daily. There is always a hospitalist working in the hospital so a medical professional with knowledge about your case is always available. You will most likely see more than one member of the hospitalist team during your stay.

Will You See a Hospitalist?

When your primary care physician admits you to the hospital, he or she may call on a hospitalist to manage your stay. Hospitalists are highly trained internal medicine or family practice doctors. They do not have regular offices because they only see patients in the hospital.

At Harris Regional Hospital, Dr. Robert Adams heads up the WNC Hospitalist Services team. Joining him are Dr. Steven Crider, Rita Moss, NP and Don Rivenbark, NP. WestCare Health System’s hospitalist program is currently recruiting additional physicians.

Shorter Stays, Lower Costs

Research has shown that hospitalized patients are released sooner, pay lower medical bills and experience greater satisfaction when a hospitalist is part of the care team. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that patients are released from the hospital an average of half a day sooner if their care is managed by a hospitalist.

A Growing Specialty

Hospital medicine is the fastest growing specialty in American medicine history, according to the Society of Hospital Medicine, the national medical society representing hospitalists. The SHM estimates there are currently 20,000 hospitalists practicing in the United States. The specialty has experienced a 20 percent increase in the last 10 years with approximately 40 percent of U.S. hospitals having hospitalist programs, according to SHM data. The Society of Hospital Medicine includes 300 hospitalist members in North Carolina.

The Big Picture

While you are receiving expert care from your hospitalist, your primary care physician is able to continue seeing his or her regular patients in the office, on schedule. Additionally, a patient who has been waiting to see a primary care physician may get in sooner for an appointment since the doctor is not making rounds in the hospital.

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