Background: Management of the hospitalized cancer patient represents unique challenges: delivery of complex, specialized medical management to a growing population, compounded by intense scrutiny of patient preference and goals of care. Historically, these patients have been admitted to a subspecialist’s service, but many institutions have now transitioned to a hospitalist-driven care model. Limited research suggests […]

Background: After discharge from an acute care hospitalization, cancer patients may choose to pursue rehabilitative care in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Our objective was to examine receipt of anti-cancer therapy, death, readmission, and hospice use of cancer patients who discharge to a SNF compared to those who discharge home or home with home health […]

Background: Hospitalists, rather than primary oncologists, are increasingly caring for hospitalized patients with cancer. High medical acuity, complex psycho-social issues, rapidly evolving cancer treatments, advanced care planning, and end-of-life care make management of this patient population especially challenging. The impact of the oncology hospitalist model of care delivery on clinical quality and oncologists’ work satisfaction […]

Background: Patients with advanced cancer have high readmission rates, up to 27% in some studies, and represent unique challenges related to transitions of care, complex disease management, and care coordination. Recent efforts have focused on better identification of potentially avoidable readmissions (PARs). One study found that primary reasons for PARs in cancer patients included pre-mature […]

Case Presentation: Patient is a 64 male with a past medical history of coronary artery disease who was experiencing two months of syncopal episodes with increasing frequency. Associated with these episodes were instances where he would wake up at night, face flushed and diaphoretic. He would also note bradycardia to the 30’s. He had an […]

Case Presentation: A 45-year-old woman with a history of ER-/PR-/Her2+ breast cancer previously in remission, recently diagnosed with recurrent metastatic breast cancer pathologically and on imaging, presented to the hospital with multiple days of dyspnea and dry cough. Vitals were remarkable for hypoxia and tachycardia. Electrocardiogram showed sinus tachycardia without ischemic changes. Troponin and B-type […]

Case Presentation: A previously healthy 10 year-old girl was admitted directly to the pediatric ward with several weeks of fever of unknown origin, lower extremity edema, right groin edema, erythema and pain. She frequently traveled to Mexico and lived in a farm-type setting.She had been treated for cellulitis with at least 7 different antibiotics at […]