Background: The Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) Core Competencies define the expertise required of practitioners in the field and provide a framework for graduate and continuing medical education activities. Since their initial publication in 2010, the scope of practice among pediatric hospitalists has matured. Pediatric hospitalists lead or participate in institutional and national efforts that emphasize [...]

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: Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a diagnostic modality that can improve diagnosis, reduce cost, and increase patient satisfaction. POCUS is being increasingly utilized in internal medicine (IM), and IM residents desire training in POCUS. A such, residency programs across the country have implemented various strategies to teach POCUS, though the impact of these interventions is [...]

Case Presentation: A 66-year-old Hispanic male with a history of primary hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus presents to hospital with 3 months of progressive fatigue, poor appetite, watery diarrhea, dizziness, and vomiting. Vital signs were notable for postural hypotension (BP 146/84 sitting, BP 118/72 standing). Physical examination was normal with no skin or mucous [...]

Background: Despite the current focus on developing handoff training curricula to improve patient safety, rigorous assessments of handoffs remain scarce. Immersive simulations allow for the evaluation of communication skills, but few specifically account for common external threats to effective handoff performance. Our aim was to investigate the effects of these interruptions in an educational handoff [...]

Background: Recently coined the “fifth pillar to the bedside physical exam” in a 2018 JAMA article, a growing number of physicians have started incorporating point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) into their clinical assessments. Many medical schools have already started to integrate POCUS into their educational curriculum. With the emergence of more affordable handheld solutions, practicing physicians and [...]

Background: Residency training includes learning to be an educator; however, it can be difficult for residents to feel comfortable and empowered to teach. Further, it has been established that the current generation of learners prefers an environment that incorporates a sense of community while providing competitive challenges. Purpose: Our goal was to establish a program [...]

Background: The 2016 State of Hospital Medicine report showed that the average hospitalist compensation model is composed of 80% base pay, 15% productivity, and 5% performance. Much variation exists by region in the make-up of the performance component with a rise in measures focused on patient satisfaction and readmission and significant differences in weight given [...]

Case Presentation: A 44-year-old man with multiple myeloma and cardiac amyloidosis on chemotherapy, and atrial fibrillation on apixaban, presented with three days of worsening shortness of breath and edema. He was admitted to the emergency room observation unit for treatment of a mild heart failure exacerbation. He was noted on admission to have rapidly developed [...]

Background: Acute decompensated heart failure exacerbation is the leading cause of hospitalization in the United States. It was associated with total medical costs of more than $30 billion in 2012 with projections estimating around $70 billion in costs by 2030. Currently, six million people in the U.S. have heart failure, with a little over half [...]