08/13/2025
Why does PFP support the new hospitalist program at the hospital?
We’ve been surprised by the nefarious intentions that have been attributed to us on our own FB posts, even by people who aren’t our own patients. So, we’d like to set the record straight.
We are independent. We are not owned by the hospital. We have the privilege and onus of running our clinic without oversight or interference. We have always tried to make our decisions with the best interest of our patients in mind, because our patients are also our family, friends, and neighbors.
When Pratt lost an internal medicine doctor in May, we made the decision to try to absorb as many new patients as possible. We understand that if we don’t, those people may have a difficult time finding medical care in Pratt. From June to July our new patient visits more than doubled. And, already in August, they’re on track to double again.
We are constantly striving to improve our clinic. We’ve added Nurse Triage lines, staffed by RNs, where any patient can call in and speak directly to a nurse. We’ve doubled our Medical Records staff so that we can better handle all of these new patients and referrals. We’ve added a new Nurse Practitioner (with more on the way!). We attempt to call every patient who visited the ER to make sure they’re doing okay. We also try to call every single patient who has been discharged from any facility to get them back into our clinic to attempt to keep them from being readmitted.
So, when PRMC approached us about a hospitalist program, after careful evaluation, we gave our approval. Why? Well, statistically, inpatients who are treated by a hospitalist have better outcomes, have lower hospital bills, and are discharged quicker than patients who don’t. These hospitalists will be in the facility when we can’t be. Do you need to be admitted during office hours? They’re there to do the paperwork so you don’t have to wait. Ready to be discharged? I bet you don’t want to wait until after office hours or the arrival of that new baby. You get the best of both worlds – our physicians, your medical records, AND a specialized physician to care for you 24/7 while you’re an inpatient.
If you are a PIMG patient concerned about losing your physician, please know that we understand your concerns. We have a great deal of respect for the PIMG physicians and value the care they provide. Over here, we’re just working hard to deliver the highest quality care possible for our patients.
