A. A hospitalist is a doctor whose job is the general medical care of patients while in the hospital. The hospitalist is your care team leader and will coordinate care with your primary care provider, specialists and other departments in the hospital.

Q. Why doesn’t my regular physician see me in the hospital?

A. Doctors who have to go back and forth between patients in the hospital and patients in the office find it difficult to give enough attention to both. Your primary care provider can now spend more time with patients in the office because there is a trusted team physician caring for their patients in the hospital.

Q. How will I know who my hospitalist is?

A. The hospitalist will give you a card with his/her name and information.

Q. How will I understand what the hospitalist is saying? Do they speak with accents that are hard to understand?

A. The hospitalists all speak English, although you may notice an accent. If at any time you do not understand what a hospitalist is saying, please ask them to speak more slowly and repeat what they said. They will be glad to do this.

Q. Will the hospitalist talk to my family about my care?

A. Unless you do not want the hospitalist to speak with your family, it is natural to include the family in the discussion of a loved one’s care. However, we ask you to choose a spokesperson for your family so the hospitalist is not asked to review the loved one’s care with each individual family member.

Q. What if I don’t like the hospitalist that cares for me?

A. Each hospitalist is very well-trained and provides excellent care, however we know that sometimes a patient and a physician do not develop a comfortable relationship. If this happens and you want to change hospitalists, it is your right to do so. You may like to know that this happens very rarely!

Q. Will my primary care doctor know that I’m in the hospital?

A. We are working on a system to alert all primary care physicians when their patients enter the hospital, but sometimes the patient is not able to identify their primary care provider. Once the primary care provider is identified, the hospital records are sent to the physician and the hospital will call your primary care doctor and arrange for a follow-up appointment for you.

Q. Will the hospitalist know about my medical history?

A. The hospitalist will find out about your medical history by talking to you or a family member, retrieving previous hospital records, or by calling your primary care physician.

Q. What if I need the hospitalist during the night?

A. There is a hospitalist in the hospital 24 hours a day. If you need the hospitalist during the night, the nurse will call him/her for you.

Q. Will I get a separate bill for the hospitalists services?

A. Yes, you will receive a bill for your hospital charges, and a separate bill for the care the hospitalist provided for you while you are in the hospital.

Q. How will I know what medicines to take when I leave the hospital?

A. The nurse will review your medications very carefully with you and your family before you are allowed to leave the hospital.

Q. What if I have more than one hospitalist?

A. You may see more than one hospitalist during your stay depending on how long you are in the hospital. The hospitalists prefer to take care of their patients throughout their entire stay whenever possible.

Q. What if I need forms filled out after I leave the hospital?

A. If there are forms that the hospitalist will need to complete, you can drop them off at Halifax Regional Administration, where the hospitalist manager has her office. Please allow 3 days for the form to be completed and returned to you.

Q. What if I have additional questions about the hospitalists?

A. You may contact Tiffany Mose at (252) 537-8436 and she will be glad to answer your questions.