Hospital Medicine

What is a hospital medicine doctor?

If you or a loved one ever need to be hospitalized overnight or for an extended period of time, chances are you will be seen by a medical specialty doctor known as a hospitalist. A hospitalist is a board-certified internal medicine doctor trained to care for hospitalized patients. They do not see patients in an outpatient clinic setting. Hospitalists are available in specific inpatient units at all Henry Ford Health hospitals at all hours of the day and night. They care for inpatients who may have medical conditions such as heart failure, infections, diabetes, kidney problems or others.

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Do hospitalists communicate with my primary care doctor?

Hospitalists communicate with your primary care doctor and all specialty doctors that might also be caring for you during your hospital stay. The doctor who admitted you to the hospital is the lead doctor on your case, but they are busy seeing patients in their clinic most days and are not there to check on you in the middle of the night. Hospitalists are able to carefully manage your care at all hours of the day and night. They regularly report back to your primary care or specialty doctor, and together they decide your care plan.

Henry Ford hospitalists also partner with specialty physicians to provide care following surgery or some procedures that require a hospital stay. In addition, our hospital medicine team includes palliative medicine specialists who maintain the care and comfort of patients with pain from illnesses like cancer as well as hospice patients.