While your child is at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, he or she will be in the care of a member of the Hospital Medicine (Hospitalist) Team . All members of the hospitalist team are certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and hold faculty appointments as clinical assistant professors at the Florida International University, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
During your stay, the attending pediatric hospitalist will coordinate a group of subspecialties, nurses, social workers and other healthcare providers. He or she will be in contact with your child's primary pediatrician to review and update your child’s medical plan of care. After your child is discharged, the pediatric hospitalist will report to your child's primary pediatrician and a discharge summary will be sent to assure a seamless transition of care to the outpatient setting.
Collaborating and partnering with your pediatrician
Pediatric hospitalists are board certified pediatricians who specialize in the care of hospitalized children. They support the referring Primary Care Physicians (PCP) in delivering optimal and quality care to children admitted to the hospital.
What can I expect from the hospitalists?
During admission: During the first few hours in the hospital, a pediatric hospitalist will meet with the family, examine your child and set the plan of care.
During the hospitalization: The hospitalist will visit your child daily to assess his/her progress and adjust the plan of care as needed. With the family’s consent, daily Patient and Family Centered Care Rounds will be performed. The attending hospitalist supervises medical students and pediatric residents who are members of our healthcare team.
At discharge: The hospitalist will direct the process of providing the care givers clear and understandable discharge instructions. It is important that all written and verbal instructions provided at the time of discharge are well understood. A discharge summary will be submitted to your child’s Primary Physician to be kept as part of the child's medical record.
Please contact your hospitalist should you have any questions relative to the discharge instructions.
To reach the on-call hospitalist 24 hours a day, seven days a week:
- Just call 305-668-5500, Option 1.
- Tell the operator you wish to reach the on-call hospitalist.
- If the doctor cannot speak with you at that moment, he or she will return your call at the first opportunity.