Some medical specialties are organized around the age of a patient, a specific disease, or a particular body part or system. But hospital medicine is organized around the site where medical care takes place&mdash;in this case, a hospital.
Hospitalists are doctors who may help manage treatment while a person is in the hospital. They may also help organize any care necessary for the person after he or she goes home. 
According to the <a href="[BASEDOMAIN]/healthinfo/bouncelink.aspx?shortcut=hospital" target="_blank">Society of Hospital Medicine</a> (SHM), there are several possible benefits that hospitalists can offer. Because a hospitalist's practice is limited to people in the hospital, he or she may gain valuable experience dealing with the unique needs of a person during a hospital stay. In addition, a hospitalist may be well-suited to respond to changes in a hospitalized person's condition. 
And spending most of their workday in the hospital makes hospitalists especially accessible and easily able to coordinate the efforts of the many people involved in a person's care.
The SHM reports that most practicing hospitalists are trained in general internal medicine. Others are trained in specialties such as pediatrics and family medicine.
Reviewed 10/23/2023

What is a hospitalist?

Hospitalists specialize in caring for patients while they are in the hospital.