People who are hospitalized benefit from having their care coordinated by healthcare professionals who care only for people in the hospital. Doctors and advanced practice providers in this role are called hospitalists. They manage a wide range of medical needs, including those of people with complex and serious conditions. Hospitalists are experts in:
- Evaluating medical risks before and after surgery.
- Enhancing the continuity of care.
- Facilitating communication between patients, their families and the rest of the care team.
If you are at one of Mayo Clinic's hospitals in Phoenix, Arizona, Jacksonville, Florida, or Rochester, Minnesota, you may be cared for by hospitalists. The clinic's Division of Hospital Internal Medicine is one of the largest groups of hospitalists in the United States, with about 200 doctors and advance practice providers. They work closely with nurses, social workers, physical therapists and other members of your care team to provide thoughtful, safe and effective medical care.
People who are in a hospital usually need a high level of care and often have more than one medical condition. For example, someone who is admitted for a broken bone or a hip replacement may need care for high blood pressure or an infection as well. Mayo Clinic hospitalists work closely with experts in several medical and surgical specialties, including cardiovascular medicine, integrative medicine, nephrology, orthopedic surgery, palliative medicine, hospice, pulmonary medicine and oncology.
Each Mayo Clinic hospital has hospitalists on duty every day, all day. They provide 24-hour inpatient medical consultation service and are often the first to respond to in-hospital emergencies. If you enter the hospital through the Emergency Department or other hospitals, hospitalists coordinate your care. The Division of Hospital Internal Medicine team members are part of a larger, multispecialty Mayo Clinic group that includes outpatient doctors, some of whom also may work in the hospital. The team's goal is to combine the latest evidence-based medicine with thoughtful consideration of each person's needs to foster wellness and healing.
Hospitalists also supervise and teach students, residents, fellows and nurse practitioners. Many hospitalists have completed fellowships or advanced training and contribute to research at Mayo Clinic.
Advanced Care at Home
Advanced Care at Home at Mayo Clinic is an innovative hospital-at-home program offering acute-level, inpatient-quality care to people in the comfort of their own homes. Health and safety are at the center of this care. This service combines both virtual and in-home services to meet your needs.
The hospital-at-home option is available to people with certain conditions and health statuses at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and Phoenix, Arizona. Ask your Mayo Clinic hospital nurse whether Advanced Care at Home might be an option for you.
Hospitalist-orthopedic team
The hospitalist-orthopedic team at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota offers streamlined surgical and medical care for people having orthopedic surgery. This assures continuity of medical care throughout their hospital stay. This collaboration creates a tightly integrated, multispecialty partnership in care for people near the time of their surgery. This is sometimes called perioperative care.
Your care is coordinated by the same healthcare professional throughout your hospital stay. Your care begins with a visit before surgery called the preoperative evaluation. It continues through an assessment right after surgery called the postoperative evaluation. Your care may include daily visits from your hospitalist while you're in the hospital and outpatient medical follow-up, as needed.
Charter House short-term stay program
Charter House is a continuing care retirement community affiliated with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It's home to more than 400 people. Hospitalists provide transitional skilled nursing care at Charter House for people who no longer need inpatient hospital care, for up to six weeks. The short-term stay program is often appropriate for people who are:
- Recovering from orthopedic surgery.
- Frail.
- Undergoing hemodialysis while they await access to this treatment in their local community.
Mayo Clinic has one of the largest and most experienced practices in the United States, with campuses in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota. Staff skilled in dozens of specialties work together to ensure quality care and successful recovery.
Find doctors and medical staff:
People who are cared for at a Mayo Clinic hospital can be confident they are in a place committed to high levels of quality and safety. The clinic's hospitals include Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona; Mayo Clinic Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida; and Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus, Mayo Eugenio Litta Children's Hospital, and Mayo Clinic Hospital, Methodist Campus, all in Rochester, Minnesota.
Top-ranked hospitals
Mayo Clinic is consistently ranked as one of the best hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, reflecting its overall excellence and high-quality hospitals.
U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals
U.S. News & World Report has named Mayo Clinic to its annual list of "Best Hospitals" for more than 30 years. Hospitals named to the Honor Roll are part of a small group recognized for breadth of excellence.
To be included on the Honor Roll, a medical center must rank at or near the top in at least six of the 15 medical specialties included in the rankings. Mayo Clinic consistently ranks high for gastroenterology, heart care, cancer, orthopedics, diabetes and endocrinology, neurology and neurosurgery, urology and other specialties.
U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on factors such as mortality index, patient safety, nurse staffing and Magnet status, patient services, and technology. Current U.S. News & World Report transplant-related rankings include:
- Cancer
- Cardiology and heart care
- Diabetes and endocrinology
- Ear, nose and throat
- Gastroenterology
- Geriatrics
- Pulmonology
- Rehabilitation
- Urology
Learn more about Mayo Clinic's quality rankings.
Your care at Mayo Clinic is guided by evidence-based practice, outcome measurements and patient-oriented research. Much of this research is carried out by the doctors and scientists in the Division of Hospital Internal Medicine. Areas of interest are patient care, quality and satisfaction, including:
- New clinical care models.
- The role of geriatric palliative care for older adults in the hospital.
- Using point-of-care ultrasound for the initial management of shock.
- Canine-assisted therapy for people hospitalized and awaiting heart transplantation.
- Risk factors for a type of early heart attack called premature myocardial infarction.
Clinical Trials
Mayo Clinic researchers carry out a wide range of clinical trials focused on the care of people who are hospitalized. You may have the opportunity to participate in clinical trials. Learn more about hospital internal medicine clinical trials at Mayo Clinic.
Publications
See a list of publications by Mayo Clinic authors who are hospitalists on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.
Our patients tell us that the quality of their interactions, our attention to detail and the efficiency of their visits mean health care like they've never experienced. See the stories of satisfied Mayo Clinic patients.
Mayo Clinic works with hundreds of insurance companies and is an in-network provider for millions of people.
In most cases, Mayo Clinic doesn't require a physician referral. Some insurers require referrals or may have additional requirements for certain medical care. All appointments are prioritized on the basis of medical need.
Learn more about appointments at Mayo Clinic.
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