The Physician Leading Your Care in the Hospital

What a hospitalist does

When you’re admitted to the hospital, something important shifts. Instead of being managed by a physician in an office setting, your treatment is led by a hospitalist, a doctor whose entire focus is the hospital.

At AtlantiCare, hospitalists are board-certified in internal medicine or family medicine and are on staff 24/7. You’ll meet your hospitalist shortly after you’re admitted, and they will guide your care throughout your stay.

What makes this role different is its focus. Hospitalists do not see patients outside the hospital. The hospital itself is their practice, which allows them to stay closely connected to what’s happening in real time and respond quickly as your needs change.

How hospitalists lead your stay

During your time in the hospital, your hospitalist serves as your primary care provider. They monitor your progress, review test results and help guide your care, working closely with specialists who may be leading specific parts of your treatment. Together, they coordinate with nurses and other team members to ensure decisions are informed, timely and aligned.

For patients and families, that means streamlined care, clearer communication and a better understanding of what comes next. In an environment where a lot can happen quickly, having a physician focused entirely on your hospital care brings a level of clarity that is hard to replicate.

When patients are ready to leave the hospital, hospitalists help ensure the next steps are clearly communicated, including discharge instructions, follow-up recommendations and access to important health information through AtlantiCare’s Patient Portal.

Hospital medicine is complex and requires a level of coordination and responsiveness that is difficult to replicate in any other setting. Having a physician whose sole focus is the hospital helps ensure that care is not only timely, but well coordinated.

During Hospital Week, it is an opportunity to recognize the physicians who take on that responsibility every day and the role they play in creating a more thoughtful, connected experience for every patient.