Skilled Doctors Playing an Important Role

At Saint Vincent Hospital, we’re dedicated to providing comprehensive, compassionate care to those in our community. As part of our ongoing commitment to excellence, our Hospitalist Program plays a critical part in providing you with support in getting the care you need. Hospitalists are doctors whose primary focus is providing general medical care for anyone admitted to our hospital.

What Do Saint Vincent Hospitalists Do?

Hospitalists are responsible for many important tasks, including:

Working in partnership with your primary care doctor to coordinate inpatient care
Working closely with nurses, ancillary staff and other specialists involved in your care
Being familiar with the hospital’s systems for ordering tests, analyzing results and arranging for treatment
Being trained to quickly recognize and respond to changes in the patient’s condition
Being available at the hospital 24 hours a day, so they can see patients as frequently as their medical conditions require
Promptly providing your doctor with a written report of your hospital visit to facilitate any follow-up care you may need

If you do not have a primary care doctor, the Hospitalist team will provide you with a list and arrange your follow-up care.

How Hospitalists Help Primary Care Doctors

Hospitalists practice full-time in the hospital, so they are readily available to help your doctor. When you enter the hospital, a Saint Vincent Hospitalist will immediately begin acting as attending doctor for the length of the hospital stay.

Hospitalists will:

Provide prompt admission and treatment
Oversee your entire hospital stay to provide quality care
Communicate ongoing patient status to your primary care doctor on a timely basis

Daily activities include:

Coordinating hospital admissions
Arranging diagnostic testing and specialty consultations
Explaining findings and discussing recommendations with patients
Orchestrating all patient care
Providing medical care for patients who need surgical treatment
Managing urgent situations that may arise during the hospitalization
Reviewing hospital treatment with insurance companies and payers

Career Opportunities

If you’re interested in a career as a Hospitalist at Saint Vincent Hospital, call (508) 363-6849 to learn more.

Ways to Avoid Valley Fever in Arizona

Two-thirds of all Valley fever cases in the U.S. are reported from Arizona. And though it’s uncommon in most of the nation, over 10,000 valley fever cases were reported in 2019, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. With the number of cases continuing to rise, Valley fever cannot be ignored. It’s an infection caused by fungus that lives in the soil of dry areas, predominately found in the southwestern United States, that can lead to chronic illness. While contamination can happen by simply inhaling spores of the fungus, Valley fever (or coccidioidomycosis) cannot be spread from person to person.

It’s important to know the signs and symptoms of Valley fever, since it’s so easy to contract and hard to identify. And people most at risk—like those with a weakened immune system, adults 60 and older, pregnant women and those who work outdoors—should take special precaution. Common symptoms include:

Fatigue or tiredness
Cough
Fever
Headache
Night sweats
Loss of appetite
Chest pain, muscle and joint aches—especially at the ankles and knees
Rash that resembles hives on shins or forearms

Even though 60% of people with Valley fever have only very mild or no signs of the infection, the flu-like symptoms make it difficult to correctly diagnose and treat. And while the majority of patients will see symptoms go away on their own, as many as 40% of people who get Valley fever are hospitalized. All this makes awareness and prevention of the disease so critical.

Reduce the Risk of Getting Valley Fever

Due to the fact that the fungus is in the soil and airborne, it’s hard to avoid exposure where Valley fever is common—Arizona, southern and central portions of California, and portions of Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. Here are four steps to take to help avoid contact with the disease.

Cover your face. Wear masks when participating in outdoor activities where the fungus lives.
Wet the soil. Avoid blowing or kicking up dust.
Stick to your comfort zone. Stay inside during dust storms.
Get informed. Learn the signs and symptoms of the disease, and if you feel like you may have the Valley fever, ask your doctor for a test.

Sources:
Arizona Department of Health Services
Valley Fever Center for Excellence
Centers for Disease Control
Medline

Hospitalist Program