What Is a Hospitalist?
Your pediatrician is a valued, vital source of care to keep your child well and provide treatment for minor injuries and illnesses. But if your child needs to be hospitalized for something more serious, a pediatric hospitalist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital can be the ideal bridge between you and your child’s pediatrician.
While the term “hospitalist” may be unfamiliar to some, these experienced physicians have been around for more than 10 years at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Hospitalists are pediatricians who specialize in caring for children admitted to the hospital. As needed, hospitalists also coordinate care with specialists, such as cardiologists or surgeons, and with laboratory, radiology and other services.
Kathleen Berchelmann, MD, a pediatric hospitalist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, says children benefit from being cared for by a hospitalist with expertise in inpatient pediatric management.
“As hospitalists, we see children every day with more complicated illnesses, such as severe pneumonia, asthma or infections, so we’re very experienced in how to best treat them,” Dr. Berchelmann says. “We also perform ongoing research and develop protocols on the best management of these children.”
In addition to providing inpatient care, pediatric hospitalists care for children who come to the emergency department and for babies in the nurseries.
“No matter where they are in St. Louis Children’s Hospital, every child is cared for by a pediatrician,” Dr. Berchelmann says. “As hospitalists, we offer constant availability and see children at least twice a day. We’re there to answer questions any time, 24/7, 365 days a year.”
Hospitalists also communicate with a child’s pediatrician every day, Dr. Berchelmann adds.
“Maintaining communication is vital because ultimately the child will be back in the care of the primary pediatrician after leaving the hospital,” she says. “We often call the pediatrician with updates right from the child’s bedside, which is reassuring to families. We have an excellent relationship and mutual trust with community pediatricians, so children receive the best care both in and out of the hospital.”
Dr. Berchelmann is a contributor to the St. Louis Children’s Hospital blog, http://childrensmd.org/.
