Hospitalist Program

CVMC's Hospitalist program offers quality medical attention your family members deserve.

What is a hospitalist?

A Hospitalist physician is trained in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine and focuses his or her practice exclusively on hospital inpatient care.

People staying in the hospital, as well as their loved ones, have unique needs that require distinctive care. At Central Vermont Medical Center, this care may be directed by a Hospitalist. The goal of the Hospitalist program is to add continuity to patient stays by having physicians devoted to caring for inpatients from the time they are admitted until they are discharged.

What advantages does a hospitalist offer patients?

For patients, being treated by a Hospitalist offers many advantages.

• Availability – Hospitalists are available 24/7. In case of emergency, a Hospitalist is never far away. A Hospitalist works in the hospital and will see patients more than once a day, if necessary. Hospitalists know every specialist and department in the hospital and can coordinate specialty care for patients as needed.
• Consistency – Hospitalists can help you achieve a smooth, speedy recovery by following up on tests and adjusting your treatment throughout the day as necessary. Because they are devoted to only hospital patients, Hospitalists are often able to spend more time talking with you and your loved ones about your care.
• Communication – The Hospitalist stays in close contact with your PCP when you are admitted to the hospital, during your stay and when you are discharged.

How does a hospitalist work with the patient’s primary care physician?

Our Hospitalists know that the key to providing quality care is excellent communication.

That’s why they stay in close contact with your primary care physician (PCP) throughout your stay. Your PCP is kept up to date of any changes in your condition and any major issues during your stay. And your PCP can contact your Hospitalist at any time to learn about your progress.

What Central Vermont PCPs have to say about our Hospitalists:

“Highly experienced, readily available, and committed to communicating the care plan with patient’s PCP.”  ~ Peter Dale, MD

“It's extremely reassuring to know that there's someone available at the hospital 24 hours a day to take care of my patients.  While I miss seeing patients in the hospital, it was often very difficult to manage complex problems from offsite; the hospitalist is able to respond to acute patient needs much more rapidly and effectively.”  ~ Priscilla Carr, MD

Going Home

When you are discharged from Central Vermont Medical Center, your primary care physician (PCP) will resume the management of your medical care. Your Hospitalist will recommend a time when you should begin follow-up, and offer the service of scheduling this visit for you before you leave the hospital. It is essential to see your primary care physician for a post-hospitalization appointment. To make this transition as smooth as possible, your PCP will have access to all medical records from your hospitalization.

If you do not have a PCP, the physician on call will see you for your follow-up visit.

If you are looking to obtain a primary care or specialty service at Central Vermont Medical Center, call the CVMC Provider Access Line at 802-371-5972, Monday to Friday, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm.

Suggestions and Feedback

Hospitalist medicine is the fastest growing field in the history of modern medicine.
Our Hospitalist medicine department is growing and evolving here at Central Vermont Medical Center. We want to provide the highest quality of care to our patients in the hospital, as well as ensure safe transitions of care at discharge.

We would welcome any feedback and suggestions to improve our service to our patients. To provide feedback, click here.
 

“It is comforting for patients and families to know that a doctor is nearby to provide immediate care in the event of a change in the patient’s status. This model is an improvement over the days, not too long ago, when hospital patients might have to wait for their primary care physician to make a trip to the hospital.”

~ CVMC President & CEO Judy Tarr