When you’re a patient at Rapides Regional Medical Center, you’re in the very best of hands. Rapides Regional Medical Center’s hospitalists - physicians who specialize in caring for acutely ill, hospitalized patients - are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, addressing patient issues as they occur. Most hospitalists are general internal medicine physicians.
Hospitalists work with your physician to insure a seamless transition from outpatient care to inpatient service. Hospitalists are also available to communicate with patients and their families when questions arise.
A hospitalist is available to care for the following types of patients:
- Patients who do not have an established primary care physician.
- Patients whose physicians are out of the immediate service area.
- Patients of local physicians who have decided to limit their practices to outpatient medicine.
When you are referred to an Rapides Regional Medical Center Hospitalist Program physician, he or she will be your attending physician of record during your stay. The hospitalist will do your initial history and physical exam, make an assessment of your illness, and devise a treatment plan. Communication will occur daily between the hospitalist and your primary care physician in regards to your progress during your hospitalization. Each day the hospitalist will see you during rounds, and be available throughout the day to answer questions. Upon discharge, you will be referred to your primary care physician for follow up. In the event you do not have a primary care physician, the hospitalist will work with you to help identify a proper referral to meet your needs.
