Tip of the week: Gradually orient new hospitalists

Those first few days and weeks are critical, so it’s important to plan your orientation such that new hospitalists aren’t forced to dive headfirst into the deep end on their first day. Evangeline Gutierrez, MD, hospitalist medical director at Overlook Hospital in Summit, NJ, which contracts with Hospitalist EMO, a New Jersey-based physician-owned practice management group, allows for a three- to four-day transition period as follows:
 

• Day 1: The new hire shadows the medical director. The medical director addresses the daily workflow: how to handle phone calls and pages, use the computerized physician order entry system, read medical charts, and process bills.
• Day 2: The new hire takes on a handful of patients—about half the typical census. The medical director observes the new hire in action and answers any questions he or she may have.
• Day 3: The new hire takes on a full load of patients during the same shift that the medical director works so that the medical director is available to answer questions and provide mentoring.

During this time, Gutierrez makes sure to introduce the new hire to the patient care team. That includes not just other hospitalists but also the attending physician in the ED, social workers, nurses, and anyone else the hospitalist may work with regularly.

To learn more about implementing a strong hospitalist orientation program, read “Get hospitalists off on the right foot with a solid orientation process, clear expectations, and mentorship: Tips for medical directors to ease new hires into practice” in the March issue of Medical Staff Briefing, the monthly newsletter for medical staff leaders and medical staff services professionals.