Hospitalist Program at UnityPoint Health - Des Moines
What is a hospitalist?
Hospitalists are all board-certified providers whose primary professional focus is taking care of hospitalized patients. They will work directly with your primary care provider (PCP) to provide you with complete, patient-centered care. Hospitalists are based within the hospital to focus on inpatient care. It's a discipline developed in response to the increasing complexity and specialization of medical care. They are available in the hospital 24/7 to provide the right care at the right time for each patient.
Your hospital stay
The hospitalist team strives to build the same trustworthy relationship with you as your primary care provider.
While you're in the hospital:
Caring for complex illnesses
Hospitalists have expertise in caring for very complex patients and illnesses. Our hospitalist team has been trained to deal with more difficult cases and is able to diagnose, treat and identify potential problems.
Your hospitalist will:
- Coordinate hospital care, including ordering diagnostic tests and establishing a treatment plan.
- Arrange for specialty care.
- Work with specialists for more coordinated, evidence-based, compassionate care.
- Respond, day or night, to your needs and those of your family and nurses, resulting in fewer delays in care.
- Continually communicate with you and your loved ones.
When you're released from UnityPoint Health - Des Moines, your primary care provider receives all of the medical records from your hospital stay. The hospitalist team arranges for a close follow-up to ensure the ongoing treatment plan continues, even after you've left the hospital. The hospitalist team may call you at home to ensure you understand your newly prescribed medications and any plans for follow-up appointments. They'll check to make sure your health continues to improve.