Ask the Expert: Hospitalist Service
An interview with Monique Misra, MD, and Kristan Sikorski, MD, director and associate director, respectively, of the Hospitalist Service at Bridgeport Hospital. Dr. Misra joined the Hospitalist Service in 2011, after working in an outpatient care setting. Dr. Sikorski began her career in primary care and transitioned to the Bridgeport Hospital hospitalist team in 2014.
Q: What is a hospitalist?
Dr. Misra: Hospitalists are attending physicians who focus on treating hospitalized patients. Trained in internal medicine, Bridgeport Hospital hospitalists have specialized knowledge and experience to care for patients in the hospital 24/7. Therefore, we are able to provide timely and comprehensive care to patients during their stay. Kristan Sikorski, MD and Monique Misra, MD
Q: Do Bridgeport Hospital hospitalists work with patients’ primary care physicians?
Dr. Sikorski: Yes, when patients are hospitalized, we communicate electronically or by telephone with their primary care physician (PCP) and review their electronic medical records (EMR) as needed. We update the EMR when the patient is in our care and the PCP can review our notes in real time to stay informed about the patient’s condition.
Q: How is Bridgeport Hospital’s Hospitalist Service beneficial for patients?
Dr. Misra: A PCP can admit patients directly to Bridgeport Hospital from the patient’s home, clinic or doctor’s office, or have a patient transferred from a location such as another hospital or a freestanding emergency department. This is great for patients because they can bypass the emergency department and get the care they need from the hospitalist team quickly for their acute condition. When patients are discharged home, we help coordinate their medications and follow-up visits with their PCP’s office. When patients see their PCP after their hospital stay, the PCP has record of all tests and treatments that took place in the hospital, which is important for continuity of care.
Q: What areas of the hospital do hospitalists cover?
Dr. Sikorski: Every unit of the hospital has a hospitalist unit medical director who works closely with nurses, consultants and care coordinators to care for patients throughout their stay. Our Bridgeport Hospital team includes more than 50 adult hospitalists, along with pediatric hospitalists and Ob/Gyn hospitalists. We also have a hospitalist-led rapid response team in the event of an emergency.
Q: How has Hospitalist Service enhanced the quality of patient care at Yale New Haven Health?
Dr. Misra: Bridgeport Hospital hospitalists focus on improving patient care and safety and sharing those best practices across the Yale New Haven Health System. Our coordinated interaction with PCPs has reduced readmission rates and improved patient satisfaction and safety.
