Background: Deaths caused by drug overdose continue to be a public health crisis and contribute to overall mortality and the lowering of life expectancy in the United States. In 2021, the number of drug overdose deaths surged to nearly 107,000 nationally and more than 5,800 in New York State (NYS). Little is known about the [...]

Background: In the emergency department (ED), patients living in unsafe conditions in the community, who do not have a clinical reason to be admitted, present the physician with a dilemma: admit the patient to the hospital, exposing the patient to the hazards of hospitalization, or have them return to the hazards of their living situation. [...]

Background: The CDC recognizes antimicrobial resistance as an urgent global public health threat and supports antibiotic stewardship initiatives to combat antibiotic resistance. Pneumonia is a frequent condition treated by both hospitalists and emergency room physicians and the most common reason for inpatient antibiotic use and over prescribing. Recent IDSA guidelines for the treatment of community [...]

Background: Many studies have demonstrated the negative effects of emergency department (ED) crowding on outcomes, including increased length of stay, inpatient mortality, and risk of readmission. Early evidence suggests effective and timely triage of patients with hospitalist input can mitigate some of the detrimental effects of ED crowding. In contrast to prior studies focused on [...]

Background: Case Managers (CM) are now a standard presence in emergency departments (ED) of large hospitals, partnering with ED and Hospital Medicine providers to improve care. They are integral in improving hospital throughput and reducing unnecessary hospital admissions and readmissions. Case Managers generally identify high-risk patients using a manual chart review process or by provider [...]