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Hospitalist model expanded

 I am pleased to announce that Stevenson Memorial Hospital will expand our hospitalist program to a 3-physician model beginning on June 10, 2013. This program which is currently a 2-physician model has been very successful at positive patient outcomes and staff satisfaction.

Dr. Liesbet Jansen and Dr. Amber Bocknek will continue in their roles as full-time hospitalists, and I sincerely thank them for their dedication and commitment to this important program and our patients. Also, I would like to recognize Dr. Rogy Masri, Dr. David Colapinto and Dr. Talha Ghadai for their contributions to the hospitalist program.

As we grow to better serve the needs of this community, a core group of Alliston Family Health Team physicians will participate in the hospitalist program, expanding services to a model where 3 physicians will be responsible for all inpatient care. The goal of this model is to provide more efficient practices in care by ensuring earlier admission assessments and comprehensive care plans with predicted discharge guidelines.

Stevenson’s hospitalist program was introduced in 2009/2010, as a solution to limited physician availability to cover the work load of the inpatient floor, particularly on the weekends. A recent review highlighted a decreased length of stay for admitted patients, resulting in earlier discharges, a decrease of admit-to-bed time and stream-lined patient flow strategies which resulted in a significant payment of Pay for Results funding from the province.

In addition, there has been increased physician presence on the unit and a higher level of support and access for nurses, interprofessional team members, patients and families.

Moving forward with a 3-physician model, we are ensuring that daytime admissions will be seen by the on-call hospitalist, which is a support for the emergency room physicians and will allow them time to see more patients. The hospitalist will be responsible to care for the patient from the admission and for arranging expedient and informed follow up with the patients’ family doctors. The hospitalist will also be available to follow up with patients within 48 - 72 hours if no other follow up is available or if the patient has no family doctor.

We are changing our hospitalist model to ensure we are meeting the needs of this vibrant and growing community. As we look forward with excitement, I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Ian Gray, Dr. Brian Swarbreck and Dr. Corbin Hendrick for their dedicated service to Stevenson and to the generations of care they have provided to our patients over the years.

We believe that this expanded hospitalist model will allow for more flexibility and a more sustainable future for Stevenson. It is a move that sets Stevenson apart as we strive to be the best small community hospital in Ontario.