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Skilled Doctors Playing an Important Role

At Saint Vincent Hospital, we’re dedicated to providing comprehensive, compassionate care to those in our community. As part of our ongoing commitment to excellence, our Hospitalist Program plays a critical part in providing you with support in getting the care you need. Hospitalists are doctors whose primary focus is providing general medical care for anyone admitted to our hospital.

What Do Saint Vincent Hospitalists Do?

Hospitalists are responsible for many important tasks, including:

 

  • Working in partnership with your primary care doctor to coordinate inpatient care
  • Working closely with nurses, ancillary staff and other specialists involved in your care
  • Being familiar with the hospital’s systems for ordering tests, analyzing results and arranging for treatment
  • Being trained to quickly recognize and respond to changes in the patient’s condition
  • Being available at the hospital 24 hours a day, so they can see patients as frequently as their medical conditions require
  • Promptly providing your doctor with a written report of your hospital visit to facilitate any follow-up care you may need

 

If you do not have a primary care doctor, the Hospitalist team will provide you with a list and arrange your follow-up care.

How Hospitalists Help Primary Care Doctors

Hospitalists practice full-time in the hospital, so they are readily available to help your doctor. When you enter the hospital, a Saint Vincent Hospitalist will immediately begin acting as attending doctor for the length of the hospital stay.

Hospitalists will:

 

  • Provide prompt admission and treatment
  • Oversee your entire hospital stay to provide quality care
  • Communicate ongoing patient status to your primary care doctor on a timely basis

 

Daily activities include:

 

  • Coordinating hospital admissions
  • Arranging diagnostic testing and specialty consultations
  • Explaining findings and discussing recommendations with patients
  • Orchestrating all patient care
  • Providing medical care for patients who need surgical treatment
  • Managing urgent situations that may arise during the hospitalization
  • Reviewing hospital treatment with insurance companies and payers

 

Career Opportunities

If you’re interested in a career as a Hospitalist at Saint Vincent Hospital, call (508) 363-6849 to learn more.

More Information

10 Tips for Safe Bike Riding

Riding a bicycle can be fun for kids or the entire family. However, a bike is a vehicle and not a toy, so it’s important to know safety best practices and watch young family members when using a bike. Even if there is no visible external injury, some head injuries from riding a bike may cause serious brain damage.

A study cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that using helmets while cycling may help reduce facial injuries, traumatic brain injury and other severe head injuries for people of all ages.

Here are 10 cycling safety tips to help keep your family safe:

1. Wear a helmet. Always use a properly fitted helmet and secure it on your head.

2. Inspect your bike. Ensure its parts are secure, the brakes are working and the tires are properly inflated.

3. Be seen. Wear light and bright colors when riding during the daytime to be visible to others. At night, use a headlight and taillight and wear reflective clothing so you can be visible in places with limited lighting.

4. Keep your hands on your bike. Use a backpack or basket to carry your items so your hands can focus on controlling the bike.

5. Stay alert. Always look out for road hazards and avoid them. Don’t wear a headset or earbuds when you ride so you can properly hear traffic and avoid risky situations.

6. Obey traffic laws. Follow all traffic signs, lane markings and other road signals to guide your safety.

7. Be predictable. When riding alongside cars, cycle straight along the bike lane. Don’t weave in and out of other vehicles.

8. Look before turning. Always look behind you before turning left or right.

9. Use hand signals. Learn proper hand signals and use them when signaling your movement to others on the road.

10. Watch for parked vehicles. Leave a 3-foot distance between you and any parked cars to avoid hitting a door that suddenly opens.

If you fall and hit your head, contact emergency services to get a proper assessment of your condition. For more information on staying safe, read about our injury prevention tips.

Sources:
American College of Surgeons
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
U.S. Department of Transportation

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