Background: Hospitalists nationwide are faced with complex patient and family behaviors that interfere with medical care. In the acute inpatient setting, few resources are available for physicians to address maladaptive behaviors and many physicians report significant discomfort managing these disruptive behaviors. We implemented a Nurse Practitioner-Led Psychiatric Consult Service to provide education and recommendations for [...]

Background: Communication is recognized by the LCME and ACGME as an essential competency with significant patient safety implications; the Joint Commission cites communication errors as a major cause of sentinel events. Consultation is a near-universal method of communication between physicians of all disciplines. However, formal education in requesting a consultation is inconsistent in undergraduate medical education [...]

Background: Surgical site infections (SSI) can complicate any operative procedure although this risk is mitigated through the use of preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis.  While antibiotic prophylaxis can provide great benefit, inappropriate use can lead to the development of multi-drug resistant organisms causing increased morbidity, mortality, and cost. Although national clinical guidelines for preoperative antibiotics prophylaxis were [...]