[Villages Kahuna]

...I wondered what the new speciality "Hospitalist" meant. At the same time, it is just common sense that the doctors, particularly those in internal medicine or family practice, specialize in order to optimize their shrinking income streams.

But still, even though an internist and hospitalist work together, why wouldn't the internist at least seek priveleges at one or two hospitals? Is there a cost to doing that? Are there requirements that make being on staff a disadvantage to a physician who intends to concentrate patient care only in his office? If they were on staff, at least they could make patient visits on occasional, special circumstances basis--which they can't do if they don't have a hospital affiliation.

Just asking.