Background: Multidisciplinary team-based care is a novel concept in hospital medicine where, healthcare team members representing multiple disciplines collaborate to develop patient care plans. Multiple published studies have shown that team-based care is associated with improved length of stay (LOS) and increased staff satisfaction but the data on patient safety and patient satisfaction is conflicting. [...]

Background: The use of whiteboards in the inpatient setting has become increasingly prevalent as a potentially effective tool for prevention of communication failures and improved multidisciplinary care. Provider and nursing surveys indicate that this tool is useful when utilized, however the true impact on patient satisfaction outcomes remains unclear. Moreover, little is known about the [...]

Background: Early palliative care can be beneficial for patients and the health system alike. The principle of palliative care is to improve quality of life through patient-centric treatment goals and comfort measures. However, many patients are identified and receive palliative care in their last days of life where hospice is more appropriate. Hospitalists are routinely [...]

Background: Initial management of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) aims towards aggressive fluid resuscitation to maintain hemodynamic stability. Existing evidence regarding benefit of early endoscopy is unclear with some studies suggesting mortality benefits and some suggesting otherwise. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if there is any mortality benefit of doing early endoscopy [...]

Background: Nationally, the number of adult patients (18+ years of age) with chronic congenital and childhood conditions being admitted to children’s hospitals has been increasing, and in some cases outpacing the rate of increase in pediatric admissions. This is secondary to advances in treatment of once-fatal conditions. Our institution is a quaternary referral center with [...]

Background: Our institution is a Level 1 regional trauma center with a large inpatient volume. A large percentage of these patients are elderly, with the traumatic events occurring as sequelae of their age, debility or medical complications. Last year, we developed a Trauma/Acute Care Surgery Hospitalist Co-Management program, due to, in large part, the increasing [...]

Background: Nocardiosis is a rare but potentially severe infection that can affect the immunocompromised as well as the immunocompetent population. It presents as a localized or disseminated infection, most commonly introduced through the respiratory trac. A significant amount of time is often needed to establish a diagnosis of nocardiosis, which has been reported to be [...]

Background: Consultative Medicine is one of the fastest growing branches of Hospital Medicine. We believe that residents require adequate exposure and appropriate level of training to provide excellent care to patients. Purpose: The goal of the rotation is to train and prepare residents for a successful future as consultants. The rotation has been designed to [...]

Background: Risk of having a major adverse cardiac event in the perioperative period is known to be raised among those with underlying cardiovascular disease undergoing noncardiac surgery. ACC/AHA 2014 guideline is an excellent tool for the physicians to evaluate perioperative cardiac risk. However, the evidence-based set of algorithms are often under- or inappropriately utilized due [...]

Background: Vent withdrawal (VW) is a procedure offered when an intubated patient fails to demonstrate meaningful recovery, the patient is not likely to survive given the extent or burden of underlying medical conditions, or patient’s best anticipated outcome from ongoing ventilator support is inconsistent with patient’s known or presumed wishes. Comfort of the patient after [...]