What is a hospitalist?
If you or someone you know has been in the hospital recently, chances are you’ve had care by a hospitalist—a specialist in inpatient medicine. The hospitalist has no responsibilities outside of the hospital, enabling him or her to focus exclusively on care for hospitalized or acutely ill patients.
According to the Society of Hospital Medicine, there are more than 40,000 hospitalists in the U.S. Most are board-certified in internal medicine (internists) or family medicine. They coordinate with other specialists involved in your care, ordering tests and procedures and monitoring your condition, ensuring a fast response or change of treatment if your condition changes.
You may wonder why your primary care physician is not in the hospital to oversee your care.
“We work with your physician to obtain important medical history and discuss treatment plans as necessary,” says Igor Bidikov, MD, internist and medical director of RMC’s Hospitalists Program. “Upon discharge, your physician will receive a complete summary of your hospital stay, test results and other relevant follow-up information, making your continued care outside the hospital seamless.”
RMC Health System hospitalists serve our patients at both RMC and Stringfellow Memorial.
- Igor Bidikov, MD, Internal Medicine, RMC Hospitalists Program Medical Director
- Syed Ahmed, MD, Internal Medicine
- Muzamil Babiker, MD. Internal Medicine
- Alemna Free, MD, Internal Medicine
- Chidiebere Ibekwe, MD, Internal Medicine
- Hardik Satashia, MD, Internal Medicine
- Harsaajan Singh, MD, Internal Medicine
- Mohamad Houry, MD, Internal Medicine
- Rhonda Sivley, MD, Internal Medicine
- Sara Sadiq, MD, Internal Medicine