Continuous infectious diseases coverage by merging with a hospitalist practice in a small community hospital system

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Healthcare Management
• Physician Workforce Studies

Background:

• Increasing difficulty accessing infectious diseases (ID) physicians.
• High rates of unfilled ID fellowship positions.
• Growing trend of internal medicine residents choosing hospitalist careers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility of integrating infectious diseases (ID) services into a hospitalist group.
• To evaluate the impact on continuous coverage and physician satisfaction.
• To understand physician preferences regarding combined ID and hospital medicine roles.

Main Methods:

• A community hospital system merged its ID practice into an existing hospitalist group.
• Continuous coverage was monitored post-merger.
• Physician satisfaction and role preference surveys were conducted.

Main Results:

• The merged group successfully maintained continuous ID coverage.
• Most physicians reported enjoying the work-life balance of the ID-hospitalist role.
• A majority of physicians expressed a preference for practicing ID without hospital medicine duties.

Conclusions:

• Integrating ID physicians into hospitalist groups can ensure continuous coverage.
• Physician preference remains a key factor in workforce satisfaction.
• Future models may need to balance coverage needs with specialized physician desires.