[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Warren Kiefer

I LOVE YOUR RESPONSE !! But let me tell you what I was told. First, I recently was told that most hospitals have a Hospitalist. I was also told the same Hospitalist serves both the Villages hospital and the Leesburg hospital. This information came from a board member who did say they were working on the problem of delayed discharges. In my case, my nurse said she had prepared all the necessary paperwork and only that remaining was the release signature of the Hospital doctor. After many hours, I did discuss my plight with the head nurse who told me that if I chose to leave without the hospital doctor's release, there was a chance Medicare would refuse to participate in the cost of my stay. This concerned me enough that I with street clothing on, waited nearly 9 hours for the final signature.

It is true that most hospitals have hospitalists. I have seen hospitalists employed or contracted by insurance companies. Guess how quickly they want to get you discharged? I have seen Hospitalists employed or contracted by hospitals. The ones I know also want to see you discharged in a timely manner. Keep that board member's phone number handy for the next time (hopefully not) you are in the hospital here. One Hospitalist between two hospitals is a joke. That doc is THE bottleneck in the entire discharge process.

It is generally thought that a census of 15 patients is appropriate for a Hospitalist. (see: http://www.todayshospitalist.com/ind...s_read&cnt=824). Now that's if the doc is managing the care of those 15 patients. As of 2012, any relationship between care provided by hospitalists and improvement in outcomes had not been established. So, we have inconclusive proof that hospitalists have any beneficial impact on patient care. In your case we know they have a negative impact.