Holly Dickson, the hospital’s director of public relations, said a hospitalist program allows on-staff physicians to only treat patients who have been admitted to the hospital.
“Many of the hospital’s medical staff physicians have practices of their own so it becomes difficult for them to provide quality patient care in the hospital,” Dickson said. “Hospitalists are outside this criteria. These doctors usually have no offices or patients outside of the hospital. This way they are in the hospital 100 percent of their time, and can see patients multiple times during the day. They can respond to urgent patient needs in minutes, and are available to order tests and view results in real time. They’re also available generally at any time to help the nursing staff with questions or problems involving hospital patients.”
Sequoyah Memorial implemented the hospitalist program in August 2006 with the goal of improving patient care. Patients receive quality care from an in house physician who may respond to their needs within minutes, instead of waiting for their primary care physician whose care of the patient may be limited by time and distance, Dickson said.
Debbie Knoke, hospital administrator, said the hospitalist is available to communicate with patients, their families, and their personal physicians.
Knoke said, “We continually evaluate and evolve to ensure the patients’ needs are served in a compassionate manner that centers on quality care.”
Sequoyah Memorial has contracted with Hospital Care Consultants (HCC) of Dallas to staff the hospitalist program. The program began in September. Sequoyah Memorial utilized the quality physicians on staff to serve as hospitalists and in the emergency room during the transition.
A leader in the hospitalist field, HCC recruits, credentials and provides board-certified physicians in eight states across the country, focusing on rural and suburban hospitals. HCC’s sister company, Emergency Staffing Solutions (ESS), will staff and manage the emergency department at Sequoyah Memorial. ESS, founded in 2001, manages emergency departments in over 50 hospitals nationwide. Like HCC, they focus their services to rural and suburban areas, Dickson said.
“Sequoyah Memorial has worked closely with HCC and ESS to establish a strong working relationship in order to provide the best patient care possible,” Dickson said. “The patient’s experience in the emergency room and as an inpatient is the top priority for both organizations. Both groups are aligned with the primary goal being the patient’s total wellbeing.
“HCC and ESS also share Sequoyah Memorial’s desire to serve the community as the healthcare leader,” Dickson said. “A person’s overall health and wellbeing is essential to quality of life and this will remain one of the primary goals of Sequoyah Memorial.”
HCC and ESS also joins a rapidly growing healthcare system. Sequoyah Memorial has an active staff of physicians, offers medical imaging including bone density scanning and MRI, rehabilitative services, a sleep disorder center, hospice and homecare, and the sale of home medical equipment. Sequoyah Memorial also offers outpatient surgical services from colonoscopies to lumpectomies. For more information on Sequoyah Memorial Hospital, visit the website at www.sequoyahmemorial.com, or call (918) 774-1100.
