Hospitalist Program to Start at New Brookings Hospital

  • January 31, 2017

Brookings Health System will implement a new hospitalist program at Brookings Hospital starting Feb. 13, nearly one week after the new hospital opens. A hospitalist physician specializes in caring for patients in the hospital setting. Advantages of a hospitalist program include more physician time at the patient bedside and quicker physician response to patient emergencies.
Brookings Health System will implement a new hospitalist program at Brookings Hospital starting Feb. 13, nearly one week after the new hospital opens. A hospitalist physician specializes in caring for patients in the hospital setting. Advantages of a hospitalist program include more physician time at the patient bedside and quicker physician response to patient emergencies.

Starting Feb. 13, Brookings Health System will implement a new hospitalist program to provide focused care for inpatients staying at Brookings Hospital. The program will launch almost one week after the new hospital opens on Feb. 7.

A hospitalist is a doctor who is trained in hospital medicine and specializes in caring for inpatients in the hospital setting. A hospitalist works closely with other members of the hospital care team to provide comprehensive care during a patient’s stay.

“Because a hospitalist works only in the hospital, he or she will be readily available to oversee the medical care of inpatients and facilitate the patient treatment plan,” said Chief Nursing Office Tammy Hillestad. “A hospitalist can also quickly respond to changes in the patient condition and works side-by-side with nursing and other professionals in the Inpatient Care unit.“

Hillestad adds that a hospitalist will not replace the patients’ primary care provider. Instead, the hospitalist will partner with the patients’ primary care physician and keep them updated on the patients’ condition and care. The on-staff hospitalist will inform the primary care physician of patient admission and provide a detailed discharge summary to help with treatment plans after patient leaves the hospital.

At Brookings Hospital, hospitalists will oversee the care of adult patients, 15 years and older, who are admitted to the Inpatient Care unit. All pediatric, OB, and surgical patients will still be seen and cared for by their respective specialty physician.

More information about the hospitalist program can be found online at www.brookingshealth.org/Hospitalist.

About Brookings Health System

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes the 49-bed Brookings Hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, Brookhaven Estates senior living apartments, Yorkshire Eye Clinic, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, city-owned facility that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, surgical and extended care services. The emergency room is staffed 24 hours a day and provides around the clock patient needs ranging from minor injuries to life threatening crises. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.