February 2014 - Over the last seven months, the team of Hospitalists at Penobscot Valley Hospital have been settling into their new positions and making a positive impact. Doctors Agarwal, Javed, Junaidi and Roa started as Hospitalists on July 1, 2013 and have been delivering excellent patient care for the inpatients who spend the night at the hospital.The Hospitalists are providers who specialize in caring for patients during their stay in the hospital. They are the physicians who organize the patient’s care between departments and serve as the point of contact for other doctors and nurses, including the patient’s primary care physician (PCP). A good part of their job involves communications and coordination of care.

“Communication with other physicians has enabled us to better understand a patient’s health status and allows us to provide individualized care,” states Hospitalist Devesh Agarwal, MD.
The Hospitalists enjoy collaborating with families on patient care to ensure the best possible outcome for their loved ones. In a recent survey, one patient noted, “[My] daughter was very pleased with communication with doctors and able to contact them.”

Another patient commented in the survey, “All staff [are] very intelligent and kind - made me feel like I would be better soon. [I] would tell others how super the hospital is, we are fortunate to have this wonderful facility.”

Since the Hospitalists now cover the service 24/7 in-house, they are able to meet with families after regular business hours. This is much more convenient for many working families who may have missed rounding during the day. If you have a loved one in the hospital, simply ask your nurse any time you would like to meet with the Hospitalist.

Evening coverage by a doctor also means that the hospital is able to care for more critical cases. In the past, very sick patients sometimes were transferred to other facilities that could monitor their care more closely over night. Now patients can remain at PVH for their recovery, minimizing unnecessary and uncomfortable transportation requirements.

To expand and enhance the services provided to our community, the Hospitalists have each joined committees within the hospital. They are involved in quality assurance, medical records and utilization, inpatient care, computerized physician order entry, and maternal fetal medicine. Their commitment to quality care is evident not only in their work with patients, but in their desire to accomplish new goals within the facility.
Dr. Agarwal adds, “I’ve enjoyed my time serving on the Computerized Physician Order Entry Committee and Maternal Fetal Medicine Committee. Our work identifies process improvements to ultimately enhance patient safety and care.”

The next time you—or someone you know—is admitted to PVH, rest assured that our team of Hospitalists has the qualifications and tools to render excellent care during your hospital stay. They will work together to coordinate patient care while reducing the length of stay in the hospital and keeping treatment costs to a minimum.