In the past, care for hospitalized patients was provided by their primary care physicians who would round on them once a day and be on call. As medical knowledge evolved and research data showed earlier and timely interventions are instrumental to better outcomes, hospitals moved to provide dedicated doctors for the hospitalized patients, who are available to see patients any time of the day. This has shown tremendous improvement in safety, quality metrics, and better morbidity outcomes and this prompted the American Hospitals to institute Hospital Medicine as a service they provide.
The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) defines Hospital Medicine as a Medical Specialty that is dedicated to the delivery of compassionate, coordinated and comprehensive medical care to hospitalized patients. Hospital Medicine is under the American Board of Internal Medicine with separate Recognition of Focused Practice (RFP). Most Hospital Medicine Physicians are Internal Medicine or Family Practice trained.
The practice of medicine in the hospital has become more complex, requiring dedicated physicians who call themselves, ‘Hospitalist’. Most primary care physicians don’t come to the hospital anymore. When their patients are admitted to the hospital, care is provided by the Hospitalist, who co-ordinate and communicate with the primary care physicians during the hospital stay. Hospitalists are doctors who spend all their time at the hospital caring for patients and do not have a private practice outside the hospital.
Hospitalists provide care of general medical patients with Chest Pain, Heart Failure, Emphysema, Gastrointestinal Bleed, Pneumonia, etc. They also provide care for critically ill patients in the intensive care unit. The Hospitalists are also involved in the medical care of patients undergoing surgery.
Eastside Medical Center Hospitalist program has been in place for the last 15 years. At Eastside, our hospital medicine group consists of Board Certified Physicians. They practice high-quality evidence-based medicine with an emphasis on patient safety. We believe in providing collaborative, multi-disciplinary compassionate care to patients from our community.
Once the patient is discharged, we encourage them to go back to their primary care physician for continuity of care.
The hospitalists communicate with the primary care physician regarding the patient’s hospital stay, condition, and recommendations for future treatment.
Dr. Tata had Assistant Professor of Medicine appointment at Emory University and was part of Emory Hospital Medicine Division for the last 9 years and completed his recertification in the American Board of Internal Medicine‘s RFP. Dr. Tata had the opportunity to complete SHM Leadership courses, Physician Executive Program, and Emory University Quality Academy training in the last 5 years. He was also a member of the Emory Hospital Medicine Strategic planning committee and had the experience of starting a new Hospital Medicine program in the last 3 years. Dr. Tata lives in Snellville and moved back to Eastside Medical Center to be part of their strategy and initiatives at a premier patient-centered highly reliable health care organization. The Hospital Medicine Leadership plans to implement best practices in developing robust safety and high-quality processes and systems in providing care for Hospitalized patients at Eastside Medical Center.
About Eastside Medical Center
Eastside Medical Center has been a leader for 33 years in a wide range of state of the art healthcare, including emergency services, neurosurgery, orthopedics, women’s services, neurosciences, oncology, cardiology, and behavioral health. Eastside is a 310-bed, full-service, acute care medical center with nearly 1,200 employees and 500 affiliated physicians. The hospital is fully accredited by The Joint Commission. The Eastside Medical Center – South Campus located on Fountain Drive off of Highway 78 in Snellville, provides inpatient psychiatric treatment for adults. It also has a Wound Clinic, Pain Center, and 20-bed Rehab Center.
