Bayhealth Hospitalists

Physicians on the front line, always in waiting for our patients

In recent years, hospitalists have been playing a central and expanding role in hospitals across the nation, and this has been particularly true at Bayhealth. Sixty of these physicians provide front-line care at Bayhealth Hospital, Kent and Sussex campuses. Inpatient hospitalists treat conditions of all kinds, from common to complex. We also have OB-GYN and pediatric hospitalist teams dedicated to women’s and children’s care specifically.

The hospitalist model ensures seamless care from the beginning to the end of someone’s hospital stay. Hospitalists often first see patients in the Emergency Department (ED), assess their condition, admit them if needed, and, if so, determine a course of treatment and oversee their care until they’re discharged.

Inpatient hospitalists, typically trained in internal medicine or critical care, are experienced in treating a variety of acute illnesses. “We play a role like a primary care physician but in the hospital. We’re there for patients and their families 24/7 and know the ins and outs of the hospital system, which enhances their experience,” explained Medical Director of the Apogee Physician Hospitalist Group Samer Alhindi, MD, FACP.

OB Hospitalists Group, LLC, team members specialize in obstetrics and gynecology. They evaluate and treat expectant mothers or patients that visit the OB-ED at Bayhealth Hospital, Sussex Campus due to a pregnancy complication or urgent gynecological issue. Working closely with a patient’s primary OB-GYN doctor, they care for mother and baby throughout the labor process to facilitate a safe delivery.

Through a partnership with Christiana Care Health System, pediatric hospitalists are also on site for our youngest patients at both Bayhealth hospitals. They evaluate these patients in the ED, help reassure and educate families, and handle the day-to-day medical needs of hospitalized children, or help transfer care to a children’s hospital in the most complex cases. They also provide newborn care, beginning at delivery if needed. Like the other hospitalists, they share information with patients’ primary care providers or pediatricians.

Hospitalists have a diverse role in ensuring everything runs smoothly for a hospitalized patient, said Apogee Physicians Program Director for Bayhealth, Sussex Campus Muhammad Syed, MD. This includes coordinating patient care with subspecialists such as cardiologists, neurologists and surgeons; evaluating progress; and making sure next steps are in place for those who’ll need continued care at home or in a rehabilitation setting. Apogee Physicians Co-Program Director for the Sussex Campus Muhammad Tahir, MD, adds, “We work as patient advocates even after discharge, following up to ensure a smooth transition until they see their respective primary care physician.”

The hospitalist programs are a win-win for patients and their primary care providers, due in part to strong teamwork. Primary care providers are informed by hospitalists when their patient is hospitalized, and receive frequent updates with information such as test results and changes in diagnoses or medication, and a discharge summary. Using hospitalists across all patient populations means accessible physician care to whomever needs it, whenever they need it.

Some patients are concerned when first seen by a hospitalist, because it’s unfamiliar, said Dr. Alhindi. “Instead of the traditional model of the patient waiting for the doctor, the hospitalist concept is the physician is here waiting for the patient.” Once patients understand the benefits, including the close relationships between doctors, they feel reassured. “Patients often go back to their primary care provider saying how the hospitalists knew everything they needed to know about them and that they felt well taken care of,” said Dr. Syed.

Visit Bayhealth's Find a Doctor page to search hospitalists or to find a doctor that fits your needs.