Community pediatricians collaborate with hospitalists to build a ward service

Variations in hospitalist models carry advantages and disadvantages, many of which can be elucidated through the guidance of an experienced consultant or director. Implementation presents several challenges. Although there are common themes among various types of hospitalist programs, the specific activities of the team must be carefully tailored to the needs of the ward. The ideal would be to dovetail the hospitalist's activities with those of other services in the hospital, according to the preferences and expressed needs of the medical staff and hospital administration. This is an ambitious and elusive goal. One common thread is that the choice of hospitalist service requires considerable input from the community physicians in order to ensure success of the program. Program directors, hospital administrators, and medical staff organizations are strongly encouraged to seek the pediatricians' input early in the planning stages and throughout the course of design and implementation. In the end, a hospitalist program may serve to raise the level of care on the ward, support the needs of community pediatricians, and bring a new level of efficiency, consistency, and specialization to the care of the community's children.