2011 Report to the Community - Allina Health

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UNITED UNITED HOSPITAL FOUNDATION |
Georgia Taggart, MD
during a hospital stay, whether it is a few hours
or days, patients and visitors may interact with
a variety of doctors, nurses, specialists and other
non-clinical hospital staff members. “through the
eyes of…” introduces the different care providers
and staff members to help explain the role they play
in the care provided at united hospital.
this article focuses on the role of a hospitalist as
explained by Georgia taggart, Md, lead physician
of the united hospitalist sevice.
What is a hospitalist?
hospitalists at united hospital are doctors who
provide in-hospital care 365 days a year. the formal
name of this group is the united hospitalist service
(uhs) of the allina Medical Clinic.
What do hospitalists do?
since uhs doctors are in the hospital, we can
respond quickly to any medical needs the patient
may have. We can also arrange for a specialist to
consult on a person’s care if that becomes necessary.
for most patients, care is provided by the same
uhs doctor each day. however, depending upon
the person’s length of stay in the hospital and
whether or not the stay overlaps a change in the
uhs rotation, it is possible to be seen by several
uhs doctors. in that case, the doctor who has been
attending the patient will thoroughly explain his
or her medical information to the doctor who takes
over next.
uhs doctors only attend to patients’ needs while
they are in the hospital.
Through the Eyes
of a Hospitalist
Donor and Board Member Profile:
Peter and Russell King
How does the hospitalist connect with the
patient’s primary care physician?
during the patient’s hospital stay, the uhs doctor
serves as the primary physician. the uhs doctor
attends to the patient’s hospital care, answers
questions and coordinates discharge plans.
during the hospital stay, the uhs doctor is in
touch with the patient’s primary care physician
to discuss treatment plans and consultations by
specialty physicians, if necessary. together, we work
as a team; the hospitalists care for patients at the
hospital and keep their primary care physicians
informed of their condition.
When the patient is discharged from the hospital,
a copy of the discharge summary, test results and
medical records will be sent to the physician at the
hometown clinic. the person’s care is returned to
the primary care physician.
depending on the individual’s outpatient medical
needs, a specialist also may provide care.
If patients have questions about UHS, who
do they talk to?
patients in the hospital should talk with their
uhs doctor about any questions or concerns.
for non-patient care questions, call the uhs
administrative office at 651-241-8451.