Hospitalist Medicine
Hospitalist physicians work as an extension of the patient’s primary care physician, focusing on the medical care of infants and children who require hospitalization for treatment of a wide variety of medical or surgical conditions. Care is provided 24-hours a day through in-house physician coverage. Hospitalist physicians are general pediatricians with extensive training and experience in providing expert care for infants and children with both common and complex health problems in consultation with the patient’s primary care physician. In 2006 hospitalists at Children’s National Medical Center cared for more than 18,000 patients.
Because hospitalists are present in the hospital, they have the ability to reevaluate a patient’s condition to ensure timely testing, treatment, and discharge. Hospitalists work closely with Emergency Medicine and medical and surgical specialists to ensure that care is delivered in a coordinated and caring manner until the child is well enough to return to their primary care physician. A primary goal for the group is to improve patient care systems within the hospital by developing and implementing pathways and leading initiatives to streamline the admission and discharge processes.
Despite being one of the busiest clinical services, Children's hospitalists have a large role in resident and student teaching. The division often receives the Golden Apple Award from the residents for teaching excellence.
The Division of Hospitalist Medicine is a part of Children's Center for Hospital-Based Specialties.
Children’s employs hospitalists at other area hospitals, ensuring that children receive specialized care from the area's best-trained pediatric hospitalist team.
- Departments & Programs - Children's National Medical Center
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