Providing 24/7 Patient Care
Hospital medicine is a specialty dedicated to the delivery of comprehensive medical care to hospitalized patients. CHH utilizes a team of board certified physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who specialize in providing high quality care for patients 24 hours/day. Multiple hospitalists may participate in your hospitalist medicine care. Our team takes pride in providing safe, high quality, and coordinated care. All members of your care team are updated daily, and your primary care physician is notified of your hospitalist medicine treatment plan at the time of discharge.
Hospitalists are hospital-based doctors, APRNs and Physician Assistants who treat patients who are admitted to the Hospital. Hospitalists manage your care and treatment with your primary care doctor. With Hospitalists available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, hospitalized patients are assured that a medical professional trained in hospital medicine is always available to provide hospitalist services.
The Hospitalist Medicine Program Provides:
- Less waiting in the Emergency Room
- Faster diagnosis and treatment
- Shorter hospital stays
- Improved outcomes
- Continuity of care
- Support for primary care physicians
- Rapid response to all hospitalized patients
Less Wait Time, Faster Diagnosis and Treatment
Hospitalists services speed up emergency room visits. Day and night, CHH now has at least one hospitalist dedicated to the ER at all times. Those in medical need get a hospital bed quickly. Diagnosis and treatment occur sooner. And hospitalists services benefit all patients, not just ER patients. Anytime a CHH patient has a medical concern or an emergency, a Hospitalist can be at the bedside within minutes. When family members visit, they have a much easier time finding and talking to the doctor.
Better Health, Faster Recovery, Shorter Stays & Less Hospitalizations
The hospitalist services program delivers immediate medical team availability at all hours to assess a patient’s medical status. CHH’s hospital in Connecticut’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) – a hospitalist, nurses and a respiratory therapist – are trained to immediately assess and treat hospital patients, should the patient’s medical condition deteriorate.
This multi-disciplinary approach assures the hospital treats the whole patient, not just the health issue of most immediate concern. Quick, thorough diagnoses like the RRTs often prevent health concerns from escalating. The result is better health, faster recover, shorter stays and fewer return trips to the hospital. More on-site doctors also mean greater hospitalist service patient safety. With a team of full-time hospitalists, Charlotte Hungerford Hospital is now beginning to develop evidence-based treatment care plans – plans built on the most recent findings of what is proven to best improve patient’s health in the hospital settings.
Enhancing the Care of Primary Care Physicians
The practice of medicine is ever changing with the goal of continuous improvement. In Torrington, and the surrounding communities, private practice doctors are focusing on office based medicine, preventative care, and long-term health. In the hospital, CHH’s hospitalist services focus on short-term care and severe medical conditions requiring hospital treatment. The hospitalist is trained specifically in acute care and hospital medicine. Hospital medicine is our specialty.
The hospitalist services support the community-based doctor by providing hospital coverage and preventing the need for the primary care provider to leave the office of scheduled hospitalist medicine patients in order to admit a patient to the hospital. In addition, we also cover all specialists after hours and on the weekends. We admit surgical and orthopedic patients, as well as patients from private practice offices after hours for those PCPs who continue to round on their private patients. When you or your loved one enters the hospital, you can be assured that there is always a hospitalist on the premises to evaluate, admit, and treat your condition with the correct hospitalist medicine.
High Tech and High Touch Communication Between Community Doctors And Hospitalists
The addition of electronic medical records allows the hospitalist to review the past medical history, medications, medical complications and allergies of the hospitalized patient. The primary care physician and hospitalist consult and agree upon the best plan of care. A follow up appointment with the primary care physician is scheduled at the time of discharge.
For those patients without a primary care physician, hospitalist services are provided to manage your care during your stay. Upon discharge, a referral to a community physician is made.
For more information on the Hospitalist Program call 860.496.6557.