Hospital Medicine
Hospital Medicine Staffing
Hospital Medicine coverage has historically been provided almost exclusively by on-site physicians who work blocks of 12-hour shifts. However, this model is being disrupted by the increasing number of APPs and by the ability for telemedicine to allow physicians to help care for patients remotely. Although there is certainly still a place for the typical 7 on, 7 off schedules, we believe that this can be disrupted to improve both patient care and physician wellness, while also driving value to the organization.
Quality Improvement
The Hospital Medicine service is the driving force behind quality outcomes across the hospital, and the importance of the engagement of the individual hospitalists can not be over-stated. Each new hospitalist service is evaluated carefully, looking for opportunities around geographic and interdisciplinary rounding, core measures, MIPS, and other indicators that are important to the organization. We feel that it is important to assure that the hospitalist team has a financial incentive to hit key metrics and that these metrics are mirrored in the contract that Core has with the hospital. We are so confidant in our ability to drive quality that we are willing to put our profit at risk based purely on mutually agreeable KPIs.
Innovations
As health systems navigate unprecedented challenges, the Core team would like to offer our true partnership, support and expertise. Innovation and new approaches to care coordination are more important than ever before. New headwinds should bring about a review of your overall service strategy, whether that means heavier utilization of APPs, telemedicine, cross-cover staffing models, or other opportunities to build more efficiency and flexibility into your health system. Two examples of recent hospital medicine innovations at Core include our Inpatient Command Center and Patient Journey Program solutions.