Lahey’s Hospitalist Program

What is a Hospitalist?

A hospitalist is a physician, board certified in internal medicine, who is responsible for all aspects of your care if you are admitted to the hospital. Hospitalists do not have a clinic practice and are easily available when you and your family have questions or concerns. The hospitalist takes the place of your primary care physician while you are in the hospital.

Our Hospitalist Group

Lahey’s hospitalist group includes more than a dozen physicians and a physician assistant. When you are admitted to the hospital, you will be assigned to a hospitalist who will oversee your care from admission to discharge. This doctor will see you daily or more often depending on your needs.

The hospitalist will collaborate with your primary care physician and collect information from your medical record to develop your treatment plan. Hospitalists will also coordinate your care whenever surgeons or other medical specialists are needed. When you are discharged from the hospital, the hospitalist will transfer your care back to your primary care physician and arrange any necessary follow-up appointments.

Begun in 1999, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center’s hospital medicine group offers inpatient medical care 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at Lahey’s main campus in Burlington, Mass., and Lahey Medical Center in Peabody, Mass, as well as at Beverly Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester. The group is responsible for medical consultation in internal medicine to other services in the hospital. Hospitalists also play an active role in the education of internal medicine residents and medical students from Tufts University School of Medicine.

Benefits of Hospitalist Care

The hospitalist’s expertise and experience in caring for ill and injured patients results in improved quality, efficiency and reduced length of stay. Benefits of hospitalist care include:

  • expedited diagnosis and treatment while you are in the hospital
  • improved communication between you and your family and the team of doctors and nurses caring for you
  • immediate action if test results are abnormal
  • immediate response if an emergency occurs while you are in the hospital
  • timely discharge

Hospitalists are also quality and safety leaders that work to reduce the potential hazards of medical care, such as hospital-acquired infections and medication errors. Studies have demonstrated improved clinical outcomes under hospitalist care compared to older models of care.

Contact Us

  • Phone: 781-744-3839
  • Fax: 781-744-1597