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What is a Hospitalist?
You may have heard the word hospitalist said in passing conversation but you may not have known what it meant. Dr. Guillermo Modad discusses what a hospitalist does and the role they play in medical care.
Featuring:
Guillermo Modad, MD
Dr. Guillermo Modad has been providing care on the Palouse since 2014 in both hospitalist and emergency medicine settings, with an emphasis in pediatrics. He has worked at Pullman Regional Hospital as a Hospitalist and Emergency Department Physician since 2019. He completed his undergraduate education at Saint Louis University, attended medical school at Loma Linda University, and completed his residency at Loma Linda Medical Center. Transcription:
Deborah Howell: Maybe you've heard the word hospitalist in passing conversation, but didn't really know what it meant. Well, to learn more about what a hospitalist is and what role they play in medical care, we'll talk to someone who knows all about it. Today we'd like to welcome Dr. Guillermo Modad, director of Hospitalist Services here at Pullman. Dr. Modad, welcome.
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Thank you for having me.
Deborah Howell: So you are the director of Hospitalist Services at Pullman Regional Hospital. Could you briefly describe what a hospitalist does?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Yeah. So most patients that come to the hospital get treated and go home, but for those patients that need to get continued care or be admitted to the hospital, the hospitalist is typically the physician that takes care of them. So the patient is seen by an emergency room physician, typically, and then the care is transitioned to a hospitalist who manages the care of the patient throughout their stay, and then until discharge.
Deborah Howell: Okay. Fair enough. And what role does a hospitalist play to keep their patients primary care doctor in the loop? And why is that so important?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Yeah, so from the beginning when a. Is admitted to the hospitalist. We inform the primary care doctor that their patient has been hospitalized. Oftentimes, the primary care doctor is aware and have communicated with us what's going on, but sometimes they don't know, and so we make that initial communication and then we keep them updated throughout their hospitalization. The primary care provider oftentimes, Valuable information that we don't know or the patient can't readily provide us. And so the primary care provider works with us to provide the best care for the patient. And finally, we coordinate with the primary care provider to set up aftercare for the patient.
Deborah Howell: Oh, okay. That's great. Inpatient medicine involves many different departments and teams, of course. What does that collaboration look like at Pullman Regional Hospital?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Yeah. we work in a team of multidisciplinary professionals. We come together every morning and focus on each patient. The team consists of physical therapists, occupational therapists, the patient's nurse, the patient's physician. Also we have nutritional support that is there. We have respiratory therapists as well. So this entire team comes together and we discuss each aspect of the patient's care, so we can coordinate it as the hospitalist then directs the care from there.
Deborah Howell: So, Dr. Modad, what's unique about being a hospitalist in a small town? Do you often see the same?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Yeah. That is one of the unique things about being in a small town and being a hospitalist in a small town. Is we sometimes get to know our patients. Patients become familiar to us and we get to know their families as well. in a small town, we also have more of a personal relationship with the primary care physicians. We know most of them personally, which helps with coordinating their care and providing the best care that we can.
Deborah Howell: now listen, I'm sure it provides peace of mind for patients families to know their loved ones are receiving care from someone who's been involved in their care before. How do you form relationships and involve patients families in this whole process?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Great question. So, a patient social support network, whether it's their family or close friends, , oftentimes closely involved in their care and tied into their success. And so from the very beginning when they're hospitalized, we meet with the patient and their support network to involve them in how we are treating the patient, to inform them of the disease process, and to help them become part of the team. That goes a long way to forming a bond between the physician, the rest of the care team, and the families and patients.
Deborah Howell: I'm really so happy to have you on today because when my husband was hospitalized, there were so many different doctors on the team coming in, and then the hospitalist came in and I was very confused. I, it's great that you're getting the word out about what a hospitalist is. What do you want your patients to know when you step into their room?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: I want my patients to know that they're in. Good hands that this is the person, this is their physician that coordinates their care, that they have an entire team of professionals that's looking at every aspect of their care, and that we're working together with their families and their physicians to try to ensure success.
Deborah Howell: Well, we're so lucky to have you at Pullman. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Yeah. Hospitalists work with patient's, primary care providers to ensure a smooth handoff in care. So make sure that you visit your primary care doctor annually.
Deborah Howell: And that's visiting your primary care physician every year, regardless of age?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: That's right. Especially if you've been hospitalized, following up with your primary care physician to help with follow up care to ensure that the medical issue has been resolved and good practice to see your doctor once a year to make sure that there's no issues going on and that they're in the up to date on your health. Make sure that everything is up to par.
Deborah Howell: And ship shape. I agree completely. Dr. Modad. We so appreciate your time and everything you do to help our wonderful patients. Thanks so much for being with us today.
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Thank you so much for having me.
Deborah Howell: and you can learn more about this subject, providers and services at Pullman Regional Hospital online at pullmanregional.org. This has been the Health Podcast from Pullman Regional. I'm your host, Deborah Howell. Thanks for listening and have yourself a terrific.
Deborah Howell: Maybe you've heard the word hospitalist in passing conversation, but didn't really know what it meant. Well, to learn more about what a hospitalist is and what role they play in medical care, we'll talk to someone who knows all about it. Today we'd like to welcome Dr. Guillermo Modad, director of Hospitalist Services here at Pullman. Dr. Modad, welcome.
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Thank you for having me.
Deborah Howell: So you are the director of Hospitalist Services at Pullman Regional Hospital. Could you briefly describe what a hospitalist does?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Yeah. So most patients that come to the hospital get treated and go home, but for those patients that need to get continued care or be admitted to the hospital, the hospitalist is typically the physician that takes care of them. So the patient is seen by an emergency room physician, typically, and then the care is transitioned to a hospitalist who manages the care of the patient throughout their stay, and then until discharge.
Deborah Howell: Okay. Fair enough. And what role does a hospitalist play to keep their patients primary care doctor in the loop? And why is that so important?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Yeah, so from the beginning when a. Is admitted to the hospitalist. We inform the primary care doctor that their patient has been hospitalized. Oftentimes, the primary care doctor is aware and have communicated with us what's going on, but sometimes they don't know, and so we make that initial communication and then we keep them updated throughout their hospitalization. The primary care provider oftentimes, Valuable information that we don't know or the patient can't readily provide us. And so the primary care provider works with us to provide the best care for the patient. And finally, we coordinate with the primary care provider to set up aftercare for the patient.
Deborah Howell: Oh, okay. That's great. Inpatient medicine involves many different departments and teams, of course. What does that collaboration look like at Pullman Regional Hospital?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Yeah. we work in a team of multidisciplinary professionals. We come together every morning and focus on each patient. The team consists of physical therapists, occupational therapists, the patient's nurse, the patient's physician. Also we have nutritional support that is there. We have respiratory therapists as well. So this entire team comes together and we discuss each aspect of the patient's care, so we can coordinate it as the hospitalist then directs the care from there.
Deborah Howell: So, Dr. Modad, what's unique about being a hospitalist in a small town? Do you often see the same?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Yeah. That is one of the unique things about being in a small town and being a hospitalist in a small town. Is we sometimes get to know our patients. Patients become familiar to us and we get to know their families as well. in a small town, we also have more of a personal relationship with the primary care physicians. We know most of them personally, which helps with coordinating their care and providing the best care that we can.
Deborah Howell: now listen, I'm sure it provides peace of mind for patients families to know their loved ones are receiving care from someone who's been involved in their care before. How do you form relationships and involve patients families in this whole process?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Great question. So, a patient social support network, whether it's their family or close friends, , oftentimes closely involved in their care and tied into their success. And so from the very beginning when they're hospitalized, we meet with the patient and their support network to involve them in how we are treating the patient, to inform them of the disease process, and to help them become part of the team. That goes a long way to forming a bond between the physician, the rest of the care team, and the families and patients.
Deborah Howell: I'm really so happy to have you on today because when my husband was hospitalized, there were so many different doctors on the team coming in, and then the hospitalist came in and I was very confused. I, it's great that you're getting the word out about what a hospitalist is. What do you want your patients to know when you step into their room?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: I want my patients to know that they're in. Good hands that this is the person, this is their physician that coordinates their care, that they have an entire team of professionals that's looking at every aspect of their care, and that we're working together with their families and their physicians to try to ensure success.
Deborah Howell: Well, we're so lucky to have you at Pullman. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Yeah. Hospitalists work with patient's, primary care providers to ensure a smooth handoff in care. So make sure that you visit your primary care doctor annually.
Deborah Howell: And that's visiting your primary care physician every year, regardless of age?
Dr. Guillermo Modad: That's right. Especially if you've been hospitalized, following up with your primary care physician to help with follow up care to ensure that the medical issue has been resolved and good practice to see your doctor once a year to make sure that there's no issues going on and that they're in the up to date on your health. Make sure that everything is up to par.
Deborah Howell: And ship shape. I agree completely. Dr. Modad. We so appreciate your time and everything you do to help our wonderful patients. Thanks so much for being with us today.
Dr. Guillermo Modad: Thank you so much for having me.
Deborah Howell: and you can learn more about this subject, providers and services at Pullman Regional Hospital online at pullmanregional.org. This has been the Health Podcast from Pullman Regional. I'm your host, Deborah Howell. Thanks for listening and have yourself a terrific.