Kayla Pantano

The Hospitalist has been honored with two 2015 Awards of Excellence in the Health and Medical Writing category from the Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX).

The annual awards, presented to corporate and nonprofit publications, received 1,851 total entries, including nearly 400 entries to the writing category. Only 16 Awards of Excellence were presented.

Freelance medical writer Bryn Nelson, PhD, was honored for his eight-page special report on ObamaCare.

Freelance writer Gretchen Henkel was honored for her cover story, “Deaf Hospitalist Focuses on Teaching, Co-Management, Patient-Centered Care,” which explores the inspiring and enlightening careers of hospitalists with hearing impairments.

Published by Wiley Inc., The Hospitalist is the official newsmagazine of the Society of Hospital Medicine. The Hospitalist has garnered nine APEX Awards in the past seven years, receiving the APEX Grand Award for Magazines, Journals, and Tabloids last year, as well as attaining finalist status for “Best Healthcare Business Publication” from Medical Marketing and Media in 2009.

“We have long known that The Hospitalist provides hospitalists with some of the most compelling and informative content in hospital medicine,” SHM President Bob Harrington, MD, SFHM, wrote in an email. “It is great to have that content recognized by APEX this year, as it has been in the past. We know that APEX judges received nearly 2,000 entries this year, so we are thrilled to see our newsmagazine rise to the top again."

“This year’s recognition is especially valuable, as The Hospitalist is now distributed to more than 32,000 hospitalists and other leaders in healthcare.”

Physician Editor Danielle Scheurer, MD, MSCR, SFHM, also commends The Hospitalist, emphasizing the importance of these awards.

“These awards exemplify how well written the content is for The Hospitalist,” she said. “This is a huge honor for the publication, as well as for all hospitalists, for which the publication is intended. I am personally honored to be the physician editor of such an exemplary publication!”

The Hospitalist has been honored with two 2015 Awards of Excellence in the Health and Medical Writing category from the Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX).

The annual awards, presented to corporate and nonprofit publications, received 1,851 total entries, including nearly 400 entries to the writing category. Only 16 Awards of Excellence were presented.

Freelance medical writer Bryn Nelson, PhD, was honored for his eight-page special report on ObamaCare.

Freelance writer Gretchen Henkel was honored for her cover story, “Deaf Hospitalist Focuses on Teaching, Co-Management, Patient-Centered Care,” which explores the inspiring and enlightening careers of hospitalists with hearing impairments.

Published by Wiley Inc., The Hospitalist is the official newsmagazine of the Society of Hospital Medicine. The Hospitalist has garnered nine APEX Awards in the past seven years, receiving the APEX Grand Award for Magazines, Journals, and Tabloids last year, as well as attaining finalist status for “Best Healthcare Business Publication” from Medical Marketing and Media in 2009.

“We have long known that The Hospitalist provides hospitalists with some of the most compelling and informative content in hospital medicine,” SHM President Bob Harrington, MD, SFHM, wrote in an email. “It is great to have that content recognized by APEX this year, as it has been in the past. We know that APEX judges received nearly 2,000 entries this year, so we are thrilled to see our newsmagazine rise to the top again."

“This year’s recognition is especially valuable, as The Hospitalist is now distributed to more than 32,000 hospitalists and other leaders in healthcare.”

Physician Editor Danielle Scheurer, MD, MSCR, SFHM, also commends The Hospitalist, emphasizing the importance of these awards.

“These awards exemplify how well written the content is for The Hospitalist,” she said. “This is a huge honor for the publication, as well as for all hospitalists, for which the publication is intended. I am personally honored to be the physician editor of such an exemplary publication!”

The Hospitalist has been honored with two 2015 Awards of Excellence in the Health and Medical Writing category from the Awards for Publication Excellence (APEX).

The annual awards, presented to corporate and nonprofit publications, received 1,851 total entries, including nearly 400 entries to the writing category. Only 16 Awards of Excellence were presented.

Freelance medical writer Bryn Nelson, PhD, was honored for his eight-page special report on ObamaCare.

Freelance writer Gretchen Henkel was honored for her cover story, “Deaf Hospitalist Focuses on Teaching, Co-Management, Patient-Centered Care,” which explores the inspiring and enlightening careers of hospitalists with hearing impairments.

Published by Wiley Inc., The Hospitalist is the official newsmagazine of the Society of Hospital Medicine. The Hospitalist has garnered nine APEX Awards in the past seven years, receiving the APEX Grand Award for Magazines, Journals, and Tabloids last year, as well as attaining finalist status for “Best Healthcare Business Publication” from Medical Marketing and Media in 2009.

“We have long known that The Hospitalist provides hospitalists with some of the most compelling and informative content in hospital medicine,” SHM President Bob Harrington, MD, SFHM, wrote in an email. “It is great to have that content recognized by APEX this year, as it has been in the past. We know that APEX judges received nearly 2,000 entries this year, so we are thrilled to see our newsmagazine rise to the top again."

“This year’s recognition is especially valuable, as The Hospitalist is now distributed to more than 32,000 hospitalists and other leaders in healthcare.”

Physician Editor Danielle Scheurer, MD, MSCR, SFHM, also commends The Hospitalist, emphasizing the importance of these awards.

“These awards exemplify how well written the content is for The Hospitalist,” she said. “This is a huge honor for the publication, as well as for all hospitalists, for which the publication is intended. I am personally honored to be the physician editor of such an exemplary publication!”

The number of inpatient hospital-acquired complications (HACs) typically spikes in July, but hospitalists can be instrumental in reducing this annual uptick, according to the lead author of a study on the "July effect" in hospital admissions.

Researcher Timothy Wen, MPH, a medical student at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California in Los Angeles, examined patient discharge data collected nationally from 2008 to 2011 and found that July admissions had a 6% increase in the likelihood of HAC occurrence compared with admissions during all other months.

Wen, whose research findings were published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, links the increase with the arrival of new residents, medical students, and hospital faculty in July. He says the annual staff changes can challenge the efficiency of hospital systems and processes.

Fortunately, hospitalists can help to reduce complications during and beyond this time of transition, Wen says.

“Because of their role,” Wen says, “hospitalists have a unique opportunity to not only utilize their institutional knowledge of the system and their patients but also to train residents in navigating the system with improved communication skills and working with ancillary staff. We believe that an initial step in resolving the outcomes associated with the 'July effect' is to have improved communication between ancillary, trainee, and attending staff. Furthermore, we believe that burden of surveillance during this transition period may require additional support from more senior ancillary and attending staff as the new trainees and faculty become more acquainted with the processes of a new hospital and service.”

HACs are a chronic issue for inpatients, contributing to longer lengths of stay and higher hospital costs. Wen says his study is among the first to “address the disparities in HACs between these time periods” and suggests more research on the impact of HACs is needed.

"HACs represent not only egregious complications of high cost and burden to hospitals and patients, but they are also a surrogate marker of adverse events that are preventable through systemic changes," he says. "We need future studies to continue to identify this disparity and its impacts, as well as research into novel initiatives and training protocols to work on reducing these HACs."

Visit our website for more information on reducing HACs.

The number of inpatient hospital-acquired complications (HACs) typically spikes in July, but hospitalists can be instrumental in reducing this annual uptick, according to the lead author of a study on the "July effect" in hospital admissions.

Researcher Timothy Wen, MPH, a medical student at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California in Los Angeles, examined patient discharge data collected nationally from 2008 to 2011 and found that July admissions had a 6% increase in the likelihood of HAC occurrence compared with admissions during all other months.

Wen, whose research findings were published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, links the increase with the arrival of new residents, medical students, and hospital faculty in July. He says the annual staff changes can challenge the efficiency of hospital systems and processes.

Fortunately, hospitalists can help to reduce complications during and beyond this time of transition, Wen says.

“Because of their role,” Wen says, “hospitalists have a unique opportunity to not only utilize their institutional knowledge of the system and their patients but also to train residents in navigating the system with improved communication skills and working with ancillary staff. We believe that an initial step in resolving the outcomes associated with the 'July effect' is to have improved communication between ancillary, trainee, and attending staff. Furthermore, we believe that burden of surveillance during this transition period may require additional support from more senior ancillary and attending staff as the new trainees and faculty become more acquainted with the processes of a new hospital and service.”

HACs are a chronic issue for inpatients, contributing to longer lengths of stay and higher hospital costs. Wen says his study is among the first to “address the disparities in HACs between these time periods” and suggests more research on the impact of HACs is needed.

"HACs represent not only egregious complications of high cost and burden to hospitals and patients, but they are also a surrogate marker of adverse events that are preventable through systemic changes," he says. "We need future studies to continue to identify this disparity and its impacts, as well as research into novel initiatives and training protocols to work on reducing these HACs."

Visit our website for more information on reducing HACs.

The number of inpatient hospital-acquired complications (HACs) typically spikes in July, but hospitalists can be instrumental in reducing this annual uptick, according to the lead author of a study on the "July effect" in hospital admissions.

Researcher Timothy Wen, MPH, a medical student at the Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California in Los Angeles, examined patient discharge data collected nationally from 2008 to 2011 and found that July admissions had a 6% increase in the likelihood of HAC occurrence compared with admissions during all other months.

Wen, whose research findings were published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine, links the increase with the arrival of new residents, medical students, and hospital faculty in July. He says the annual staff changes can challenge the efficiency of hospital systems and processes.

Fortunately, hospitalists can help to reduce complications during and beyond this time of transition, Wen says.

“Because of their role,” Wen says, “hospitalists have a unique opportunity to not only utilize their institutional knowledge of the system and their patients but also to train residents in navigating the system with improved communication skills and working with ancillary staff. We believe that an initial step in resolving the outcomes associated with the 'July effect' is to have improved communication between ancillary, trainee, and attending staff. Furthermore, we believe that burden of surveillance during this transition period may require additional support from more senior ancillary and attending staff as the new trainees and faculty become more acquainted with the processes of a new hospital and service.”

HACs are a chronic issue for inpatients, contributing to longer lengths of stay and higher hospital costs. Wen says his study is among the first to “address the disparities in HACs between these time periods” and suggests more research on the impact of HACs is needed.

"HACs represent not only egregious complications of high cost and burden to hospitals and patients, but they are also a surrogate marker of adverse events that are preventable through systemic changes," he says. "We need future studies to continue to identify this disparity and its impacts, as well as research into novel initiatives and training protocols to work on reducing these HACs."

Visit our website for more information on reducing HACs.

Elizabeth A. Cook, MD

Dr. Cook has served as a hospitalist since 2001 and is medical director of the hospitalist division for Medical Associates of Central Virginia in Lynchburg, Va., where she provides management and coordination of care for acutely ill medical and surgical patients. She also serves as supervising physician at Matrix Medical Network, where she provides oversight to nurse practitioners through monthly chart reviews. Dr. Cook completed her medical degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and her internship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Cook is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, is an SHM member, and serves on SHM’s Family Medicine Committee.

QUOTABLE: “I started as a hospitalist thinking it would be a transition to outpatient practice; however, I fell in love with the energy and experiences in the hospital. Being able to work closely with specialists, nursing, and other ancillary personnel to care for patients when they are most in need is both an opportunity and a privilege. I have moved into a leadership role, as well as returned to school for a masters in public health. I am excited about bringing my experience, passion, and interests to a role on the editorial board. I am also looking forward to working with other hospitalists outside my local area to move forward the practice of hospital medicine.”

Lisa Courtney, MBA, MSHA

Courtney serves as director of operations at Baptist Health Systems in Birmingham, Ala. She is responsible for accounts receivable management across a multi-hospital hospitalist program; develops, maintains, and attains budget objectives; and works with the medical directors and hospital staff on quality initiatives and process improvement opportunities.

QUOTABLE: “The hospitalist director position wasn’t a role I sought but one that I’m glad I accepted. My boss told me, ‘Hospitalist medicine is fun.’ It has taken a few years to stabilize staffing, but now I finally agree, hospitalist medicine is fun. … Hospitalists are an integral part of any healthcare system. They are vital in leading change and innovation to provide better care at lower cost. I feel blessed to be part of the team. As a new member of The Hospitalist’s editorial board, I hope to bring new ideas and topics to a broad audience while gaining the experience of working with some of the top physicians and administrative staff in their field.”

Joshua LaBrin, MD, SFHM

Dr. LaBrin is assistant clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah at Salt Lake City. He also is a reviewer for Medical Education, Journal of Hospital Medicine, and Hospital Pediatrics. He completed his medical degree at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa., and then his internship and residency at the University of Pittsburgh. He served as an HM fellow at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

QUOTABLE: “Being a hospitalist made sense for me. I enjoy the intensive part of caring for the hospitalized setting in a team-based model. The dynamic nature of the hospital and the trainees never gets old. My mentors provided a glimpse of the impact and satisfaction I too could be a part of in hospital medicine.

James W. Levy, PA-C, SFHM

Levy serves as co-owner and vice president of human resources at iNDIGO Health Partners in Traverse City, Mich. He graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington and completed his PA training at Indiana University School of Medicine in Fort Wayne. He’d previously received certificates in emergency medical technology and operating room technology. He worked as a hospitalist from 1998 to 2013 and is a member of SHM’s NP/PA Committee.

QUOTABLE: “I believe the advent of hospitalist medicine is the single most important innovation I have seen in 40 years of patient care. Of the many rewards it has brought me, helping to assemble highly functioning hospitalist teams is the greatest. As a member of The Hospitalist’s editorial board, I hope to advance the cause of hospitalist medicine, in general, and especially as a way of benefitting small outlying hospitals and the patients they serve.”

Amanda T. Trask, MBA, MHA, SFHM

Trask is vice president for the national hospital medicine service line at Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a nonprofit, faith-based system operating in 19 states. Trask focuses on improving clinical and business outcomes through enhancing collaboration, improving processes, and optimizing current practices of hospitalist providers practicing in CHI hospitals. She earned her degrees at Georgia State University in Atlanta, where she was awarded the Public Health Service DHHS Traineeship Grant and several academic scholarships.

QUOTABLE: “Hospitalists have the opportunity to transform the delivery of acute care and beyond, as population health care models continue to advance. Being an administrative hospitalist leader allows me to be influential and involved in this transformation.

David Weidig, MD

Dr. Weidig is system director of hospital medicine for Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin. In 2007, he started the Aurora Hospital Medicine System with one program and six physicians; it has grown to 13 programs and over 150 FTEs. He is responsible for the co-development of the unit-based, RN-physician collaborative care model, recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a top intra-collaborative care model. Dr. Weidig completed his medical degree at Northwestern University in Chicago and his internal medicine residency at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. He served as president of SHM’s Pacific Northwest Chapter from 2005 to 2007 and is a member of the Multi-Site Hospitalist Leader Task Force.

QUOTABLE: “HM focuses on care delivery process improvement that has a dramatic effect both in efficiency and quality of outcomes. These improvements are reaching a scale that may be unprecedented in the history of U.S. healthcare. As a member of The Hospitalist’s editorial board, I hope to share ideas and work with others to further develop these care delivery models and enhance their effect.”

Robert Zipper, MD, MMM, SFHM

Dr. Zipper is a regional chief medical officer at Tacoma, Wash.-based Sound Physicians, where he provides operational oversight of Sound’s hospitalist, LTACH, post acute, and transitional care programs. He earned his master’s degree in medical management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and his doctorate of medicine at Wayne State University in Detroit. He completed his internal medicine residency at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. An active SHM member, he has served as chairman of the SHM Leadership Committee.

QUOTABLE: “My choice [to become a hospitalist] was more practical than anything else. I knew that I liked inpatient medicine, and I could not keep doing both inpatient and outpatient in the manner I was. I was forced to choose, and within a week of starting a focus on only hospital medicine, I knew it was the right one.”

Elizabeth A. Cook, MD

Dr. Cook has served as a hospitalist since 2001 and is medical director of the hospitalist division for Medical Associates of Central Virginia in Lynchburg, Va., where she provides management and coordination of care for acutely ill medical and surgical patients. She also serves as supervising physician at Matrix Medical Network, where she provides oversight to nurse practitioners through monthly chart reviews. Dr. Cook completed her medical degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and her internship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Cook is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, is an SHM member, and serves on SHM’s Family Medicine Committee.

QUOTABLE: “I started as a hospitalist thinking it would be a transition to outpatient practice; however, I fell in love with the energy and experiences in the hospital. Being able to work closely with specialists, nursing, and other ancillary personnel to care for patients when they are most in need is both an opportunity and a privilege. I have moved into a leadership role, as well as returned to school for a masters in public health. I am excited about bringing my experience, passion, and interests to a role on the editorial board. I am also looking forward to working with other hospitalists outside my local area to move forward the practice of hospital medicine.”

Lisa Courtney, MBA, MSHA

Courtney serves as director of operations at Baptist Health Systems in Birmingham, Ala. She is responsible for accounts receivable management across a multi-hospital hospitalist program; develops, maintains, and attains budget objectives; and works with the medical directors and hospital staff on quality initiatives and process improvement opportunities.

QUOTABLE: “The hospitalist director position wasn’t a role I sought but one that I’m glad I accepted. My boss told me, ‘Hospitalist medicine is fun.’ It has taken a few years to stabilize staffing, but now I finally agree, hospitalist medicine is fun. … Hospitalists are an integral part of any healthcare system. They are vital in leading change and innovation to provide better care at lower cost. I feel blessed to be part of the team. As a new member of The Hospitalist’s editorial board, I hope to bring new ideas and topics to a broad audience while gaining the experience of working with some of the top physicians and administrative staff in their field.”

Joshua LaBrin, MD, SFHM

Dr. LaBrin is assistant clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah at Salt Lake City. He also is a reviewer for Medical Education, Journal of Hospital Medicine, and Hospital Pediatrics. He completed his medical degree at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa., and then his internship and residency at the University of Pittsburgh. He served as an HM fellow at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

QUOTABLE: “Being a hospitalist made sense for me. I enjoy the intensive part of caring for the hospitalized setting in a team-based model. The dynamic nature of the hospital and the trainees never gets old. My mentors provided a glimpse of the impact and satisfaction I too could be a part of in hospital medicine.

James W. Levy, PA-C, SFHM

Levy serves as co-owner and vice president of human resources at iNDIGO Health Partners in Traverse City, Mich. He graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington and completed his PA training at Indiana University School of Medicine in Fort Wayne. He’d previously received certificates in emergency medical technology and operating room technology. He worked as a hospitalist from 1998 to 2013 and is a member of SHM’s NP/PA Committee.

QUOTABLE: “I believe the advent of hospitalist medicine is the single most important innovation I have seen in 40 years of patient care. Of the many rewards it has brought me, helping to assemble highly functioning hospitalist teams is the greatest. As a member of The Hospitalist’s editorial board, I hope to advance the cause of hospitalist medicine, in general, and especially as a way of benefitting small outlying hospitals and the patients they serve.”

Amanda T. Trask, MBA, MHA, SFHM

Trask is vice president for the national hospital medicine service line at Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a nonprofit, faith-based system operating in 19 states. Trask focuses on improving clinical and business outcomes through enhancing collaboration, improving processes, and optimizing current practices of hospitalist providers practicing in CHI hospitals. She earned her degrees at Georgia State University in Atlanta, where she was awarded the Public Health Service DHHS Traineeship Grant and several academic scholarships.

QUOTABLE: “Hospitalists have the opportunity to transform the delivery of acute care and beyond, as population health care models continue to advance. Being an administrative hospitalist leader allows me to be influential and involved in this transformation.

David Weidig, MD

Dr. Weidig is system director of hospital medicine for Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin. In 2007, he started the Aurora Hospital Medicine System with one program and six physicians; it has grown to 13 programs and over 150 FTEs. He is responsible for the co-development of the unit-based, RN-physician collaborative care model, recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a top intra-collaborative care model. Dr. Weidig completed his medical degree at Northwestern University in Chicago and his internal medicine residency at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. He served as president of SHM’s Pacific Northwest Chapter from 2005 to 2007 and is a member of the Multi-Site Hospitalist Leader Task Force.

QUOTABLE: “HM focuses on care delivery process improvement that has a dramatic effect both in efficiency and quality of outcomes. These improvements are reaching a scale that may be unprecedented in the history of U.S. healthcare. As a member of The Hospitalist’s editorial board, I hope to share ideas and work with others to further develop these care delivery models and enhance their effect.”

Robert Zipper, MD, MMM, SFHM

Dr. Zipper is a regional chief medical officer at Tacoma, Wash.-based Sound Physicians, where he provides operational oversight of Sound’s hospitalist, LTACH, post acute, and transitional care programs. He earned his master’s degree in medical management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and his doctorate of medicine at Wayne State University in Detroit. He completed his internal medicine residency at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. An active SHM member, he has served as chairman of the SHM Leadership Committee.

QUOTABLE: “My choice [to become a hospitalist] was more practical than anything else. I knew that I liked inpatient medicine, and I could not keep doing both inpatient and outpatient in the manner I was. I was forced to choose, and within a week of starting a focus on only hospital medicine, I knew it was the right one.”

Elizabeth A. Cook, MD

Dr. Cook has served as a hospitalist since 2001 and is medical director of the hospitalist division for Medical Associates of Central Virginia in Lynchburg, Va., where she provides management and coordination of care for acutely ill medical and surgical patients. She also serves as supervising physician at Matrix Medical Network, where she provides oversight to nurse practitioners through monthly chart reviews. Dr. Cook completed her medical degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville and her internship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Cook is board certified by the American Board of Family Medicine, is an SHM member, and serves on SHM’s Family Medicine Committee.

QUOTABLE: “I started as a hospitalist thinking it would be a transition to outpatient practice; however, I fell in love with the energy and experiences in the hospital. Being able to work closely with specialists, nursing, and other ancillary personnel to care for patients when they are most in need is both an opportunity and a privilege. I have moved into a leadership role, as well as returned to school for a masters in public health. I am excited about bringing my experience, passion, and interests to a role on the editorial board. I am also looking forward to working with other hospitalists outside my local area to move forward the practice of hospital medicine.”

Lisa Courtney, MBA, MSHA

Courtney serves as director of operations at Baptist Health Systems in Birmingham, Ala. She is responsible for accounts receivable management across a multi-hospital hospitalist program; develops, maintains, and attains budget objectives; and works with the medical directors and hospital staff on quality initiatives and process improvement opportunities.

QUOTABLE: “The hospitalist director position wasn’t a role I sought but one that I’m glad I accepted. My boss told me, ‘Hospitalist medicine is fun.’ It has taken a few years to stabilize staffing, but now I finally agree, hospitalist medicine is fun. … Hospitalists are an integral part of any healthcare system. They are vital in leading change and innovation to provide better care at lower cost. I feel blessed to be part of the team. As a new member of The Hospitalist’s editorial board, I hope to bring new ideas and topics to a broad audience while gaining the experience of working with some of the top physicians and administrative staff in their field.”

Joshua LaBrin, MD, SFHM

Dr. LaBrin is assistant clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah at Salt Lake City. He also is a reviewer for Medical Education, Journal of Hospital Medicine, and Hospital Pediatrics. He completed his medical degree at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pa., and then his internship and residency at the University of Pittsburgh. He served as an HM fellow at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

QUOTABLE: “Being a hospitalist made sense for me. I enjoy the intensive part of caring for the hospitalized setting in a team-based model. The dynamic nature of the hospital and the trainees never gets old. My mentors provided a glimpse of the impact and satisfaction I too could be a part of in hospital medicine.

James W. Levy, PA-C, SFHM

Levy serves as co-owner and vice president of human resources at iNDIGO Health Partners in Traverse City, Mich. He graduated from Indiana University in Bloomington and completed his PA training at Indiana University School of Medicine in Fort Wayne. He’d previously received certificates in emergency medical technology and operating room technology. He worked as a hospitalist from 1998 to 2013 and is a member of SHM’s NP/PA Committee.

QUOTABLE: “I believe the advent of hospitalist medicine is the single most important innovation I have seen in 40 years of patient care. Of the many rewards it has brought me, helping to assemble highly functioning hospitalist teams is the greatest. As a member of The Hospitalist’s editorial board, I hope to advance the cause of hospitalist medicine, in general, and especially as a way of benefitting small outlying hospitals and the patients they serve.”

Amanda T. Trask, MBA, MHA, SFHM

Trask is vice president for the national hospital medicine service line at Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a nonprofit, faith-based system operating in 19 states. Trask focuses on improving clinical and business outcomes through enhancing collaboration, improving processes, and optimizing current practices of hospitalist providers practicing in CHI hospitals. She earned her degrees at Georgia State University in Atlanta, where she was awarded the Public Health Service DHHS Traineeship Grant and several academic scholarships.

QUOTABLE: “Hospitalists have the opportunity to transform the delivery of acute care and beyond, as population health care models continue to advance. Being an administrative hospitalist leader allows me to be influential and involved in this transformation.

David Weidig, MD

Dr. Weidig is system director of hospital medicine for Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin. In 2007, he started the Aurora Hospital Medicine System with one program and six physicians; it has grown to 13 programs and over 150 FTEs. He is responsible for the co-development of the unit-based, RN-physician collaborative care model, recognized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as a top intra-collaborative care model. Dr. Weidig completed his medical degree at Northwestern University in Chicago and his internal medicine residency at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. He served as president of SHM’s Pacific Northwest Chapter from 2005 to 2007 and is a member of the Multi-Site Hospitalist Leader Task Force.

QUOTABLE: “HM focuses on care delivery process improvement that has a dramatic effect both in efficiency and quality of outcomes. These improvements are reaching a scale that may be unprecedented in the history of U.S. healthcare. As a member of The Hospitalist’s editorial board, I hope to share ideas and work with others to further develop these care delivery models and enhance their effect.”

Robert Zipper, MD, MMM, SFHM

Dr. Zipper is a regional chief medical officer at Tacoma, Wash.-based Sound Physicians, where he provides operational oversight of Sound’s hospitalist, LTACH, post acute, and transitional care programs. He earned his master’s degree in medical management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and his doctorate of medicine at Wayne State University in Detroit. He completed his internal medicine residency at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. An active SHM member, he has served as chairman of the SHM Leadership Committee.

QUOTABLE: “My choice [to become a hospitalist] was more practical than anything else. I knew that I liked inpatient medicine, and I could not keep doing both inpatient and outpatient in the manner I was. I was forced to choose, and within a week of starting a focus on only hospital medicine, I knew it was the right one.”

More than two-thirds of HM groups do not offer paid time off (PTO) to their hospitalists, but lack of vacation time isn’t a career deal breaker for aspiring hospitalists, say some HM leaders.

“Lack of separate PTO in general has not affected young hospitalists from choosing hospital medicine as their career, as hospital medicine offers many other positives,” says Bhavin Patel, MD, assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Duluth and a member of SHM’s Practice Analysis Committee. “Given there has not be any major push to either build PTO hours into scheduling or to offer it separately for many [hospital medicine groups], it may not be a major factor for many or most hospitalists.”

SHM surveyed HM groups about their PTO benefits and included the results in its 2014 State of Hospital Medicine Report. The survey examined HM groups that serve adults only and categorized the groups by geographic region, ownership/employment model, academic status, primary hospital graduate medical education program status, and practice size.

Results showed that larger groups were more likely to offer PTO benefits and more PTO hours than smaller groups. Only 21.1% of groups with four or fewer full-time equivalent hospitalists (FTE) offered PTO, with a median of 120 hours, and 45.9% of groups with 30 or more FTE offered PTO, with a median of 194 hours, according to the survey. The median amount of PTO among all groups was 160 hours per year.

Carolyn Sites, DO, FHM, senior medical director of hospitalist programs at Providence Health & Services in Oregon and also a member of SHM’s Practice Analysis Committee, says the difference in PTO between large and small groups is not surprising.

“Larger practice size offers more flexibility because you have enough staff to cover the hospital,” says Dr. Sites. “Hospital health systems may have a higher percentage of PTO offered due to their size and the need to offer similar benefits to all their employees. A small group is more challenged in being able to provide adequate coverage when a provider is absent. It usually means somebody has to work a lot more shifts to cover for the person who is absent.”

The survey also found that HM groups in the eastern U.S. and those employed by a hospital health system and/or academic groups were more likely to offer PTO and more hours. In the East, 50% of groups offered PTO, with a median amount of 200 hours annually. Similarly, 54.9% of groups with academic status as well as 47.4% of groups at university-based teaching hospitals offered PTO, with medians of 208 hours and 200 hours annually, respectively.

According to Dr. Sites, the overall 160-hour median amount of PTO is appropriate. “Assuming average shift lengths are 10 to 12 hours in length, this would convert to between 13 to 16 shifts off per year,” she notes. “This provides for two weeks break per year or several slightly shorter breaks per year.”

In terms of what research needs to be conducted to better analyze PTO patterns, Dr. Sites expresses that more “in-depth knowledge of the operational differences between groups that offer PTO and those that don’t” is necessary.

Visit our website for more information on PTO for hospitalists.

More than two-thirds of HM groups do not offer paid time off (PTO) to their hospitalists, but lack of vacation time isn’t a career deal breaker for aspiring hospitalists, say some HM leaders.

“Lack of separate PTO in general has not affected young hospitalists from choosing hospital medicine as their career, as hospital medicine offers many other positives,” says Bhavin Patel, MD, assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Duluth and a member of SHM’s Practice Analysis Committee. “Given there has not be any major push to either build PTO hours into scheduling or to offer it separately for many [hospital medicine groups], it may not be a major factor for many or most hospitalists.”

SHM surveyed HM groups about their PTO benefits and included the results in its 2014 State of Hospital Medicine Report. The survey examined HM groups that serve adults only and categorized the groups by geographic region, ownership/employment model, academic status, primary hospital graduate medical education program status, and practice size.

Results showed that larger groups were more likely to offer PTO benefits and more PTO hours than smaller groups. Only 21.1% of groups with four or fewer full-time equivalent hospitalists (FTE) offered PTO, with a median of 120 hours, and 45.9% of groups with 30 or more FTE offered PTO, with a median of 194 hours, according to the survey. The median amount of PTO among all groups was 160 hours per year.

Carolyn Sites, DO, FHM, senior medical director of hospitalist programs at Providence Health & Services in Oregon and also a member of SHM’s Practice Analysis Committee, says the difference in PTO between large and small groups is not surprising.

“Larger practice size offers more flexibility because you have enough staff to cover the hospital,” says Dr. Sites. “Hospital health systems may have a higher percentage of PTO offered due to their size and the need to offer similar benefits to all their employees. A small group is more challenged in being able to provide adequate coverage when a provider is absent. It usually means somebody has to work a lot more shifts to cover for the person who is absent.”

The survey also found that HM groups in the eastern U.S. and those employed by a hospital health system and/or academic groups were more likely to offer PTO and more hours. In the East, 50% of groups offered PTO, with a median amount of 200 hours annually. Similarly, 54.9% of groups with academic status as well as 47.4% of groups at university-based teaching hospitals offered PTO, with medians of 208 hours and 200 hours annually, respectively.

According to Dr. Sites, the overall 160-hour median amount of PTO is appropriate. “Assuming average shift lengths are 10 to 12 hours in length, this would convert to between 13 to 16 shifts off per year,” she notes. “This provides for two weeks break per year or several slightly shorter breaks per year.”

In terms of what research needs to be conducted to better analyze PTO patterns, Dr. Sites expresses that more “in-depth knowledge of the operational differences between groups that offer PTO and those that don’t” is necessary.

Visit our website for more information on PTO for hospitalists.

More than two-thirds of HM groups do not offer paid time off (PTO) to their hospitalists, but lack of vacation time isn’t a career deal breaker for aspiring hospitalists, say some HM leaders.

“Lack of separate PTO in general has not affected young hospitalists from choosing hospital medicine as their career, as hospital medicine offers many other positives,” says Bhavin Patel, MD, assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Duluth and a member of SHM’s Practice Analysis Committee. “Given there has not be any major push to either build PTO hours into scheduling or to offer it separately for many [hospital medicine groups], it may not be a major factor for many or most hospitalists.”

SHM surveyed HM groups about their PTO benefits and included the results in its 2014 State of Hospital Medicine Report. The survey examined HM groups that serve adults only and categorized the groups by geographic region, ownership/employment model, academic status, primary hospital graduate medical education program status, and practice size.

Results showed that larger groups were more likely to offer PTO benefits and more PTO hours than smaller groups. Only 21.1% of groups with four or fewer full-time equivalent hospitalists (FTE) offered PTO, with a median of 120 hours, and 45.9% of groups with 30 or more FTE offered PTO, with a median of 194 hours, according to the survey. The median amount of PTO among all groups was 160 hours per year.

Carolyn Sites, DO, FHM, senior medical director of hospitalist programs at Providence Health & Services in Oregon and also a member of SHM’s Practice Analysis Committee, says the difference in PTO between large and small groups is not surprising.

“Larger practice size offers more flexibility because you have enough staff to cover the hospital,” says Dr. Sites. “Hospital health systems may have a higher percentage of PTO offered due to their size and the need to offer similar benefits to all their employees. A small group is more challenged in being able to provide adequate coverage when a provider is absent. It usually means somebody has to work a lot more shifts to cover for the person who is absent.”

The survey also found that HM groups in the eastern U.S. and those employed by a hospital health system and/or academic groups were more likely to offer PTO and more hours. In the East, 50% of groups offered PTO, with a median amount of 200 hours annually. Similarly, 54.9% of groups with academic status as well as 47.4% of groups at university-based teaching hospitals offered PTO, with medians of 208 hours and 200 hours annually, respectively.

According to Dr. Sites, the overall 160-hour median amount of PTO is appropriate. “Assuming average shift lengths are 10 to 12 hours in length, this would convert to between 13 to 16 shifts off per year,” she notes. “This provides for two weeks break per year or several slightly shorter breaks per year.”

In terms of what research needs to be conducted to better analyze PTO patterns, Dr. Sites expresses that more “in-depth knowledge of the operational differences between groups that offer PTO and those that don’t” is necessary.

Visit our website for more information on PTO for hospitalists.

Inpatients discharged from teaching hospitals on weekends experience similar postdischarge outcomes and shorter lengths of stay compared with patients discharged on weekdays, according to a recent Journal of Hospital Medicine study.

The study, led by Finlay McAlister, MSc, MD, LMCC, general internist and population health investigator at the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research in Canada, examined death or nonelective readmission rates for general medicine inpatients 30 days after weekend and weekday discharges at all seven teaching hospitals in Alberta.

Although fewer pharmacists, physicians, and therapists typically are available to assist patients discharged on weekends, Dr. McAlister and colleagues found that patients sent home on weekends do not bounce back to the hospital or the ED sooner than patients sent home on weekdays.

"If somebody is ready to go [home] on a weekend, you do not have to hold them until Monday, and nurse them and give them a false impression that that will improve their 30-day outcome," Dr. McAlister says.

In a previous study of patients with heart failure, Dr. McAlister noticed a trend that suggested better outcomes for patients discharged on weekdays. However, after studying a wider spectrum of patients with various diagnoses, he concluded there is no difference between weekend and weekday discharges in terms of patients' 30-day outcome.

Dr. McAlister suggests more research can be done to determine whether there is a difference in outcomes for weekend discharges from nonteaching hospitals.

"Because teaching hospitals may be a bit of a safety net, in terms of having house staff that is there seven days a week," he says. "The impact of reduced staffing levels may be more severe than at nonteaching hospitals."

Visit our website for more information on patient-discharge recommendations.

Inpatients discharged from teaching hospitals on weekends experience similar postdischarge outcomes and shorter lengths of stay compared with patients discharged on weekdays, according to a recent Journal of Hospital Medicine study.

The study, led by Finlay McAlister, MSc, MD, LMCC, general internist and population health investigator at the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research in Canada, examined death or nonelective readmission rates for general medicine inpatients 30 days after weekend and weekday discharges at all seven teaching hospitals in Alberta.

Although fewer pharmacists, physicians, and therapists typically are available to assist patients discharged on weekends, Dr. McAlister and colleagues found that patients sent home on weekends do not bounce back to the hospital or the ED sooner than patients sent home on weekdays.

"If somebody is ready to go [home] on a weekend, you do not have to hold them until Monday, and nurse them and give them a false impression that that will improve their 30-day outcome," Dr. McAlister says.

In a previous study of patients with heart failure, Dr. McAlister noticed a trend that suggested better outcomes for patients discharged on weekdays. However, after studying a wider spectrum of patients with various diagnoses, he concluded there is no difference between weekend and weekday discharges in terms of patients' 30-day outcome.

Dr. McAlister suggests more research can be done to determine whether there is a difference in outcomes for weekend discharges from nonteaching hospitals.

"Because teaching hospitals may be a bit of a safety net, in terms of having house staff that is there seven days a week," he says. "The impact of reduced staffing levels may be more severe than at nonteaching hospitals."

Visit our website for more information on patient-discharge recommendations.

Inpatients discharged from teaching hospitals on weekends experience similar postdischarge outcomes and shorter lengths of stay compared with patients discharged on weekdays, according to a recent Journal of Hospital Medicine study.

The study, led by Finlay McAlister, MSc, MD, LMCC, general internist and population health investigator at the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research in Canada, examined death or nonelective readmission rates for general medicine inpatients 30 days after weekend and weekday discharges at all seven teaching hospitals in Alberta.

Although fewer pharmacists, physicians, and therapists typically are available to assist patients discharged on weekends, Dr. McAlister and colleagues found that patients sent home on weekends do not bounce back to the hospital or the ED sooner than patients sent home on weekdays.

"If somebody is ready to go [home] on a weekend, you do not have to hold them until Monday, and nurse them and give them a false impression that that will improve their 30-day outcome," Dr. McAlister says.

In a previous study of patients with heart failure, Dr. McAlister noticed a trend that suggested better outcomes for patients discharged on weekdays. However, after studying a wider spectrum of patients with various diagnoses, he concluded there is no difference between weekend and weekday discharges in terms of patients' 30-day outcome.

Dr. McAlister suggests more research can be done to determine whether there is a difference in outcomes for weekend discharges from nonteaching hospitals.

"Because teaching hospitals may be a bit of a safety net, in terms of having house staff that is there seven days a week," he says. "The impact of reduced staffing levels may be more severe than at nonteaching hospitals."

Visit our website for more information on patient-discharge recommendations.