| BMH
Initiates Night-time Hospitalist Service
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital has initiated a Night
Hospitalist Service which provides physicians specifically
designated to cover hospitalized patients at night from
7:00 PM to 7:00 AM. These hospitalists dedicate 100%
of their time taking care of inpatients every night
of the week, working as partners with the patient’s
primary care provider.
Hospitalist care at BMH represents one of the nation’s
fastest-growing new physician specialties. A doctor
skilled in inpatient medicine, and called a hospitalist,
is available nightly to respond to changing inpatient
needs, along with urgent, critical, or emergency inpatient
situations that arise during the night. Because hospitalists
practice on-site in the hospital, they are on hand in
case the patient or family member has a question regarding
care during these off-hours. Having a physician in-house
at night allows the care team – the nurses, the
doctors, and the therapists – to respond to any
changes as they happen. It provides a better quality
of care.
 Carolyn
Taylor-Olson, MD, a member of the hospital medical staff,
has been appointed Medical Director of the new Night
Hospitalist Service at BMH. In addition to working full-time
as a night hospitalist, Dr. Taylor-Olson’s roles
focus on administration and operations related to this
program. Other physicians currently serving as part-time
hospitalists are Drs. David Albright, Reme Damasco,
Amy Gadowski, Christopher Meyer, and Eric Pofcher. Each
of these BMH medical staff members is also in private
practice.
The BMH night hospitalist will collaborate with the
patient’s personal attending physician to provide
in-hospital coverage for the general medical care of
hospitalized patients 16 years and older, and to provide
medical consultation to surgical patients, when needed.
Hospitalists admit patients of that age range to the
hospital in place
of the personal attending physicians participating
in the program. All medical, surgical, and pediatric
specialists/sub-specialists are available to the hospitalist
for telephone and on-site consultation as needed.
The overall quality of care delivered by the BMH Night
Hospitalist Service is overseen by the program Medical
Director and the Chief Medical Officer (David Albright,
MD), who will ensure high quality care, good communication,
optimal collaboration, and consistent practices.
Hospitalists have been shown in recent studies to
reduce mortality rates, improve clinical outcomes, reduce
re-admit rates, and positively affect the quality of
medical care and patient satisfaction. They provide
a win-win situation for patients and their caregivers.
BMH is pleased to be able to offer one of the fastest
growing new services in health care.
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