Hospitalist Program

From Dr. Keown —

“Over past year I have evaluated the partnership with the hospitalist program at Wayne Memorial Hospital. I developed a relationship with board certified physicians who helped me care for my hospitalized Wayne Family Practice patients on the weekends only.

I have now decided to expand this opportunity for my patients seven days per week. Hospitalist programs are nothing new and have been the norm in most large cities for many years. They exist in over 5,000 hospitals nationwide including the Mayo Clinic.

The Hospitalist is a board certified family physician or internist that specializes in the care of the hospitalized patient. They are trained to admit, treat and discharge patients to and from the hospital. This program is generally a very efficient and beneficial program for the patient, the primary care physician and the hospital as well.

Since the hospitalist can provide on site, essentially bedside attention, 24 hours, seven days per week, the patient receives obvious benefits that include quicker discharges and possibly better outcomes. I still maintain all of my privileges to admit and treat patients at WMH, but I feel my time is better spent serving more patients in my office in order to prevent them from being hospitalized.
In fact, now that 20 million additional individuals have been legislated into the healthcare system, I am needed even more in the office to care for those who need a primary care doctor. Patients need a doctor treating them outside the hospital in order to prevent the consequences of chronic diseases that place them in the hospital. Most other physicians who have continued to treat their patients in the hospital have delegated their office responsibilities to nurse practitioners and physician assistances – non physicians.

I have chosen to spend our (yours and mine) valuable timely resources caring for you day to day in an outpatient setting. I continue to admit patients to WMH from my office when necessary, but I will share your day-to-day hospital care with the hospitalist. If you get admitted from my office or the emergency department, I am always in contact with the hospitalist concerning your past history, your medical records, your day to day care, your discharge plan and of course your follow-up by me when you leave the hospital.

I just will not go to the hospital to see you in person on a daily basis. These hospitalist physicians are simply an extension of me and the good news is they really are MD’s, medical doctors and board certified physicians. If you have any questions concerning my partnership with the physicians at Wayne Memorial Hospital, please discuss this with me during your office visit.”