hospitalist

noun

hos·pi·tal·ist | \ ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-tə-list

plural hospitalists

Definition of hospitalist

1 : a physician and especially an internist who specializes in providing and managing the care and treatment of hospitalized patients … the burden of trying to be all things to all of his patients became unmanageable. In 2006, after Wayne Memorial Hospital hired hospitalists—doctors who specialize in taking care of hospitalized patients—Dr. Dewar finally gave up hospital rounds.— Gardiner Harris … some insurers contract with doctors called hospitalists, who take over from a patient's primary physician while the patient is hospitalized.— Milt Freudenheim

2 : a health-care professional (such as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) who is not a physician but assumes a similar role —often used in combination If the hospitalist nurses encounter glitches that may delay the discharge or disagree with a specialist, they can call on the medical practice medical director or associate medical directors for help. — Case Management Advisor

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Did You Know?

Hospitalist refers to what is rapidly becoming a new specialty in medicine, perhaps due in part to the rise of organized health care. These days, the care that you receive during a hospital stay may be coordinated and monitored by a doctor who is not your regular doctor or the referring physician. The word hospitalist itself first appeared in print in 1996 and derives, of course, from "hospital," which in turn can be traced back to the Medieval Latin hospitale, meaning "hospice" or "guest house."

Examples of hospitalist in a Sentence

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The groom’s father is a hospitalist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Chillicothe, Ohio. — New York Times, "Komal Patel, Kishore Padmaraju," 1 July 2018 Palomar Health hospitalist and integrative medicine physician Sabiha Pasha and registered dietitian Kathryn Vasaeli share cooking techniques to help achieve your best heart health in this free class. — Laura Groch, sandiegouniontribune.com, "North County Community News, June 10," 10 June 2018 Our past experience with hospitalists has not been optimum. — Philly.com, "Hospitalists, first do no harm. Pay attention to each patient's needs," 23 Jan. 2018 Our hospitalist was an incredibly smart, compassionate caring physician. — Philly.com, "Hospitalists, first do no harm. Pay attention to each patient's needs," 23 Jan. 2018 The company, founded in 2007, uses teams of hospitalists and nurse practitioners to provide care. — Meredith Cohn, baltimoresun.com, "Maryland-based Adfinitas Health buys stake in PA hospitalist group," 8 Jan. 2018 Also, the hospitalists are good doctors who are devoted to care. — Andy Lazris, Columbia Flier, "Healthy communication needed between physicians [Commentary]," 31 Aug. 2017 The hospitalist movement is a national phenomenon, certainly not something confined to Howard County. — Andy Lazris, Columbia Flier, "Healthy communication needed between physicians [Commentary]," 31 Aug. 2017 The parade of specialists, hospitalists, residents, and nurses treating him seem like Vegas palm readers, spouting theories and hunches that only lead to confusion and further despair. — Jenny Mollen, Marie Claire, "Actress and Author Jenny Mollen Opens Up About Her Family's Scary Health Crisis," 17 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hospitalist.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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The first known use of hospitalist was in 1971

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hospitalist

noun

hos·pi·tal·ist | \ ˈhäs-(ˌ)pit-ᵊl-əst

Medical Definition of hospitalist

2 : a health-care professional (as a nurse practitioner or physician assistant) who is not a physician but assumes a similar role —often used in combination If the hospitalist nurses encounter glitches that may delay the discharge or disagree with a specialist, they can call on the medical practice medical director or associate medical directors for help. — Case Management Advisor