Hospitalist/Nocturnist

Job Description:

Hospitalist/Nocturnist (Physician or Advanced Practice Provider) shall provide efficient and quality management of inpatient hospital care by facilitating the efficient use of hospital resources and assuring quality patient care services. The Hospitalist shall work with medical staff members, nursing personnel, case managers, and other ancillary personnel on the coordination of patient care. The Hospitalist shall coordinate care of the patient with the referring physician upon admission to and discharge from Brooks-TLC, including recommending scheduling of follow-up office visits with the referring physician and facilitating any necessary post-acute care such as home health services. The Hospitalist shall review discharge instructions with the patient at the time of discharge. Interaction is optimal for quality health care and a seamless transition back to the referring physician.

Responsibilities:

• Hospitalist shall provide prompt, responsive and quality medical services to Brooks-TLC inpatients in a manner that promotes the effective and efficient operation of the Brooks-TLC Hospitalist Service Program.
• Admit, diagnose and thereafter assume and provide or arrange for all reasonably necessary inpatient medical care services and treatment to each patient referred to the Program by a referring physician, as well as all patients who, after treatment at the Brooks-TLC Emergency Departments, (i) reasonably require hospitalization, (ii) do not have an established relationship with a physician who is willing and capable of providing necessary inpatient medical care services throughout the course of such person’s hospitalization, or (iii) do not have an established relationship with a physician who is willing and capable of providing necessary inpatient medical care services for an assigned or established patient throughout the course of such person’s hospitalizations.
• Accept responsibility for the transfer of patients who are not admitted through the ED as appropriate for the service upon receipt of a transfer summary and verbal “sign-out” from the transferring team.
• Promptly review patient records upon admission and coordinate treatment with the referring physician.
• Ensure that Hospitalist’s own services contribute to favorable health care outcomes by monitoring and evaluating the necessity, appropriateness, efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of medical services ordered and provided to prevent unnecessary utilization of medical services and tests.
• Dictate histories and physicals at the time of encounter, but no later than within 24 hours of providing the service. Hospitalists are required to dictate a discharge summary for short-stay and observation-status patients. A discharge summary should be entered into the medical record within forty-eight (48) hours of discharge, and shall not exceed being entered later than within five (5) days of discharge. Transferred patients shall have a discharge summary accompany the patient to the transfer facility.
• Work in conjunction with patient management/discharge planning services to facilitate the timely discharge of patients, particularly when patients are being discharged to skilled nursing facilities.
• Inpatient orders must be completed/signed prior to patient discharge.
• Promptly sign all verbal orders within twenty-four (24) hours; histories and physicals and discharge summaries within twenty-four (24) hours of appearing in the electronic medical record.
• Promptly review diagnostic test results and patient progress reports and communicate information to the patient; counsel patients regarding their illness, treatment, and progress; communicate with families, patient’s health care proxy, or other authorized individuals as approved by the patient.
• Respond to in-house medical emergencies for patients admitted to Brooks-TLC Hospitalist Service.
• Minimize avoidable patient days by working in collaboration with nursing, patient care management, and ancillary personnel.
• Utilize ancillary services according to condition-specific quality indicators and in accordance with the needs of patients.
• Participate in the standardization of drugs, products, supplies, and other devices.
• Whenever possible, verbally communicate with the patient’s private physician upon admission and provide updates during the hospitalization at the discretion of the Hospitalist physician.
• For any readmission to hospitalist services occurring within 30 days of initial discharge, review the medical record from the prior admission and document the reason for the readmission either in the dictated history and physical or in a separate progress note written within 24 hours of the readmission.
• Participate in benchmark or target selection, hospital utilization, quality improvement and performance assessment activities. Participate in utilization review, quality assurance, peer review and risk management procedures and programs to ensure patient days reflect medical necessity. Participate in team huddles to decrease avoidable days.
• Work with Brooks-TLC to develop and implement hospital-wide clinical practice guidelines and utilize all Brooks-TLC-approved evidence-based order sets.
• Abide by the By-Laws and Rules/Regulations of the Brooks-TLC Medical Staff and the relevant clinical service.
• As a member of the Hospitalist team, be available for coverage for unassigned admission on unassigned coverage days depending on admission volume.
• Utilize ancillary services as medically necessary.
• Monitor costs with respect to the Program; establish benchmark cost information related to the Program; achieve efficiencies in management controls; and reduce costs where possible by maintaining or improving quality of care. In no event shall such duties imply or be construed to mean Brooks-TLC has or would induce, encourage, or cause Hospitalists to reduce or limit medically necessary services to patients.
• Collaborate with hospital personnel to achieve patient experience rankings that meet or exceed annual goals and strive to achieve satisfaction with the Hospitalist and Program services among referring physicians and unit nurse managers.
• Review with Brooks-TLC management available outcome and quality measurement data generated by Brook-TLC's existing systems and clinical performance improvement analysts, and discuss performance improvement opportunities.
• Assist Brooks-TLC in satisfying the requirements of third-party payors by participation in utilization review, peer review, quality assurance programs, and other activities payors may require.
• Collaborate with attending physicians in order to facilitate discharge or inpatient admission.
• Collaborate with the Brooks-TLC Chief Medical Officer in selecting membership in at least one committee among the following, and regularly attend the monthly meetings of that committee. Committees include Brooks-TLC Performance Improvement, Practice Evaluation & Improvement, Pharmacy and Therapeutics, and Utilization Review.
• Participate in community outreach efforts to develop and improve relationships with referring physicians.
• Develop referral relationships, make necessary referrals to, and co-manage patient care with appropriate specialists.
• Work in collaboration with other attending physicians to facilitate continuity of care
• Ensure the proper documentation and coding of medical records through self-education and work with administrative personnel to improve the accuracy of documentation and coding of medical records for billing and reimbursement purposes.
• Obtain access to and timely respond to Brooks-TLC email.
• As a member of the Hospitalist team, be available for Cardiac Rehab coverage and on-site Oncology infusion coverage on coverage days depending on admission volume.
• Assure that the activities of the Program meet accreditation requirements, including but not limited to ISO 9001 certification by DNV GL Healthcare USA, Inc., and other regulatory agencies as per the Conditions of Participation of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) designate
• Participate with ISO 9001 continual quality improvement activities including, but not limited to, internal audits, corrective action plans and preventive action plans.
• Other duties as assigned by the President of the Medical Staff/Chief Medical Officer or Chief Operating Officer.

Additional Job Duties:

• Perform reasonably related job duties as assigned by the immediate supervisor, Medical Director, and Brooks TLC Hospital Administrative Team members.
• Maintain steady, consistent, and punctual attendance.

Requirements:

• Graduate of an accredited Physician Assistant program or equivalent per NYSDOH regulations.
• Graduate of an accredited school of medicine or osteopathy, or Physician Assistant, or Nurse Practitioner program; NY State license;
• Prior experience preferred
• Physicians must be Board certified and maintain certification in Internal Medicine.
• APP must be Current New York State license to practice as noted provider and Federal Drug Enforcement Administration registration.
• BLS, ACLS and Infection Control certifications required. Additional certifications as relevant to area of practice.