Patients – What is a Hospitalist?

Expert Care When You Are Hospitalized

At Academic Internal Medicine Specialists (AIMS), we understand that being admitted to the hospital is a trying time for patients and their families. We’re here to help. Our staff of physicians is specially trained to treat the complex needs of adult patients who are sick or recovering from surgery in the hospital. Working as a partner with your Primary Care Physician, AIMS provides 24/7 delivery of hospital medical care. You’ll have someone who knows the hospital system on your side, securing the best care for you.

We work in conjunction with other specialists recommended by your Primary Care Physician to provide the testing, diagnosis and treatment you need while in the hospital.

During and after your hospital visit AIMS physicians keep in constant contact with your doctor. That way your doctor can be ready to continue your care after you are discharged. With personal attention and clear communication, AIMS physicians provide the high-quality patient care you need to recover quickly.

For Patients and Families
What Is A Hospitalist?

If you’ve never heard of a “hospitalist” before, you’re not alone.

The healthcare field is changing at a rapid pace, and two of those changes are:

1

More patients are being treated outside the hospital

2

Patients in the hospital are sent home sooner to save costs


That means that those patients in the hospital are now on average much sicker than patients in the past.

This type of patient needs more sophisticated care 24 hours a day. At the same time, the technology and medications used in hospitals have advanced rapidly. These changes mean that doctors taking care of acute inpatients must be extremely knowledgeable and have specific skills.

Hospitalists are a special type of physician that treats patients exclusively in the hospital, ensuring that patients get the best care during their stay. Hospitalists serve as the “quarterback” for your care in the hospital, coordinating the involvement of other medical experts such as other specialist physicians, nurses, and ancillary services.

Hospitalists manage care 24 hours a day from admission through discharge, so patients have a reliable, consistent, personal level of care.

Hospitalists are trained as specialists in internal medicine and are also called internists. Internists have had several years of advanced clinical training beyond medical school in diagnosing and treating a wide range of severe and chronic medical problems, such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, lung diseases, arthritis, diseases of aging, cancer and blood disorders. Internists are also trained in the care of patients on life-support machines in intensive care units.

However, hospitalists also work closely with other medical specialists, including doctors who may be called on to help provide diagnosis or treatment of a specific disease or condition.

Services Provided by Academic Internal Medicine Specialists (AIMS):

AIMS is an academic hospitalist practice that specializes in the ever-changing, high-tech care of acute adult inpatients. Our mission is, quite simply, to provide the highest standard of care.

With an AIMS physician by your side, you will have someone who knows the hospital system, making sure you see the right specialists and have the right diagnostic and treatment procedures, the correct medication and the best care. AIMS hospitalists are available any time day or night during a hospital stay, so patients not only have prompt care, they can ask questions – giving them peace of mind at a difficult time in their lives. Our team members are available 24 hours a day focusing on your care, so you can focus on getting healthy.

AIMS is one of the largest hospitalist practices in Michigan with 36 physicians at six metro Detroit hospitals ready to assist you. But you will be seen by the same team of physicians throughout your stay to ensure continuity of care with a personal touch.

We emphasize communication with patients and family members, answering questions, explaining procedures and educating you on care needed after you leave the hospital. Throughout your stay and after discharge, we also stay in constant communication with your primary care physician and will return you to your doctor for follow-up care.