By Rachel Thompson, MD, MHM, Chief Medical Officer, Core Clinical Partners
Hospital Medicine is one of the youngest specialties in modern medicine and yet, in many ways, it brings us back to the core of what healthcare has always been: being present, decisive, and deeply human in the moments that matter most. It’s that balance of timeless bedside care and daily innovation that drew me in, and continues to inspire me.
This year, I was honored to receive the Master in Hospital Medicine designation from the Society of Hospital Medicine—an achievement shared by fewer than 1% of Hospitalists. Over the years, I’ve witnessed our field evolve from a promising idea into a central pillar of acute care. As Chief Medical Officer at Core Clinical Partners, I now have the privilege of helping our teams turn that evolution into real, measurable impact for patients, clinicians, and hospitals across the country.
A Modern Specialty Built on a Century of Care
Hospitalists didn’t invent hospital care, but we did transform it. In the 1900s, primary care physicians often rounded at hospitals between office visits. Today, rising acuity, volumes, and expectations make that model impossible.
Since the term “Hospitalist” first appeared in a 1996 New England Journal of Medicine article, the specialty has grown at unprecedented speed. By 2007, half of all large hospitals relied on Hospitalists. Today, they’re not only the norm, they’re the most in-demand specialty in the country. In a generation, we’ve gone from “consultants in passing” to “care quarterbacks”.
Why Hospitalists Became Indispensable
Three forces continue to accelerate the specialty’s rise:
- Clinical excellence in real time.
Hospitalists are on-site, all day, every day—adjusting diuretics in the morning, responding to labs in real time, and reassessing patients in the evening to refine care plans and avoid unnecessary delays. That continuous presence enables more coordinated, responsive care and better outcomes. - Elevated patient and team experience.
We’re communicators. Whether it’s updating families, coordinating across specialists, or clarifying discharge plans, hospitalists make sure the care team is aligned. That trust and clarity improve outcomes, and patient experience. - Financial and operational value.
Hospitalists reduce length of stay, document accurately, and even lead payer appeals. We didn’t go to medical school for this, but today, we drive meaningful cost savings and revenue capture.
Telemedicine: From the Fringe to the Forefront
COVID-19 didn’t just accelerate telehealth, it proved its potential. At Core, we’ve embraced scalable Tele Hospitalist models that are transforming access:
- Nighttime coverage that offers real-time care without on-site staffing
- Remote oversight that allows one physician to support multiple APPs across dozens of patients
- Specialist consults that bring infectious disease, neurology, or psychiatry into the room in minutes, even in rural or resource-strapped hospitals
And now, our next frontier: Tele Triage in the Emergency Department. Picture this: as patients flood the waiting room, a virtual clinician begins the evaluation immediately, initiating orders and reducing delays before a bed even opens. It’s not just a bridge. It’s a breakthrough.
What’s Next: Value, Virtual Wards, and AI
Hospital Medicine won’t stop evolving and neither can we. The next wave is already taking shape:
- Hospital-at-Home programs bringing acute care into living rooms, supported by remote monitoring and escalation protocols designed by Hospitalists.
- Relentless value-driven care that eliminates low-yield labs and unnecessary treatments; the “Things We Do for No Reason” movement made real.
- Artificial intelligence that lifts administrative burden from clinicians so they can return to what matters: their patients.
How Core Turns Evolution Into Advantage
We don’t just keep up at Core—we lead. Here’s how we turn the momentum of Hospital Medicine into strategic value for our partners:
- Clinician engagement that drives change.
We don’t hire shift workers. We hire Hospitalists who want to improve care and empower them to do it. - Operational partnership, not playbooks.
Our seasoned clinical operations leaders walk your floors, study your data, and co-design practical, site-specific solutions from observation units to throughput fixes. - Communication that changes perceptions.
Our clinicians are equipped with training in purposeful rounding and proactive family communication, which leads to measurable improvements in “communication with doctors” HCAHPS scores, often within the first year of partnership.
Why It Matters
Hospital Medicine reflects the challenge facing all of healthcare: deliver more, for sicker patients, under tighter financial constraints. But when Hospitalists are empowered with the right tools and culture, the impact is transformational on experience, outcomes, and the bottom line.
Our patients deserve thoughtful, coordinated care. Our clinicians deserve workflows that respect their expertise. And our partners deserve programs that deliver results.
Let’s Redefine What’s Possible. Together
The first 25 years of Hospital Medicine proved its value. The next 25 will expand its reach….into virtual wards, predictive AI, and home-based care.
At Core, we’re ready to lead that transformation. If your hospital is rethinking how to engage clinicians, improve outcomes, or expand access, let’s talk.
Because partnership isn’t just a promise. It’s the force behind every success we create.