Ob Hospitalist Group, Inc.

This section gives a more detailed explanation of the Ob Hospitalist Group and addresses some of the most common questions of staff ob/gyn physicians from hospitals considering an ob/gyn hospitalist program.

          General FAQ's

• What is an ob hospitalist?

An ob hospitalist, or laborist, is a board-certified ob/gyn physician providing 24/7 in-house coverage for ob/gyn services within a hospital. Ob Hospitalist Group physicians are required to receive additional training in:

          -Advanced Fetal Monitoring

          -Risk Management

          -Operative Delivery

          -Coding and Compliance

          -Advanced Cardiac Life Support

• What are typical ob hospitalist duties?

          Ob hospitalist duties may include:

          -Unassigned obstetric patients.

          -Unassigned ob/gyn ED patients.

          -Ob triage management.

          -Availability for private MD obstetrics coverage.

          -Availability for private MD ED coverage.

          -Availability for surgical assistance.

          -Availability for unattended deliveries.

          -Availability for consultations.

          -Availability for workshops, drills, and training.

• What's this going to cost me?

There is no charge to physicians for call coverage.  We simply bill for services provided.

• How do patients feel about ob hospitalists?

Our experience has shown patients to be very receptive of ob hospitalists.  We provide physicians with a patient brochure describing the ob hospitalist program and identifying our physicians.  We encourage patients to stop by to meet our doctors.

• How can I be sure that the hospitalist won't try to "recruit" my patient to his/her private practice?

Ob Hospitalist Group physicians may not recruit or refer patients under any circumstances.  Most of our hospitalists don't have a private practice.  If a hospitalist does have outside affiliations, those affiliations cannot be in or near the hospital service area. 

• How do I know that the hospitalist won't try to perform unnecessary procedures on my patients?

Ob Hospitalist Group physicians are reimbursed on an hourly basis without regard to procedures performed.

• I am considering adding a new physician to my ob/gyn practice.  How can the ob hospitalist group assist this transition?

The ob hospitalist group can allow your practice to assume any desired call schedule. An ob/gyn group can partially evaluate the effects of expansion by pre-testing a modified call schedule using ob hospitalists.

          Gyn-only FAQ's

• How can an ob hospitalist program help the gyn-only physician?

          The ob hospitalist can help the gyn physician by:

          -Assuming unassigned ED call.

          -Call coverage for vacation, etc.

          -Assisting in surgery.

-Providing delivery-only service for gyn physicians wishing to add outpatient obstetric patients to their practice.

         Triage FAQ's

• What are the triage duties of the ob hospitalist

Ob hospitalists add safety and decrease liability by assuring that all patients are seen by a physician prior to admission or discharge.

• Can I triage my own patients?

          Yes.

• How will I know if my patient was evaluated by the hospitalist?

Hospitalists will dictate a report to be submitted to the attending physician.

• Can I be notified sooner that my patient was seen in ob triage?

Yes. 

We can notify you immediately prior to discharge or send a fax/email to your office in the morning. 

• What happens if my ob triage patient needs admission?

The hospitalist will  order admission to your service and you will be notified.

          ED FAQ's

• Can I turn over my ED call without turning over my ob or gyn call?

          Yes.

• Will hospitalists manage ectopic pregnancies and spontaneous abortions?

Yes.

Hospitalists will manage all unassigned  emergency ob/gyn admissions and the emergency admissions of  physicians for whom they are covering.

• How will the ob hospitalist follow-up  on post-operative patients?

Unassigned patients  will  up follow-up with the hospitalist in the ob triage area or ED. Private patients will be scheduled to return to their private physician for follow-up.

          L&D FAQ's

• Can ob hospitalists cover my L&D patients every weekend?

Yes.

Hospitalists can provide coverage for any time period, brief or prolonged.

• What happens if I have the hospitalist manage my laboring patient, but return before the completion of the delivery?

Ob hospitalists will gladly return patients at any point of care.

• Will ob hospitalists provide back-up for my midwife?

We defer this question to hospital administration.

• Can ob hospitalists assist me in surgery?

Yes. 

This is on a first-come, first-served basis.  The ob hospitalist's first priority must be to serve the needs of labor, triage, and emergency patients.

• If I'm tied up in a C-section and my laboring patient delivers, will the hospitalist do the delivery?

          Yes.

• What happens if the hospitalist starts my stat c-section but I arrive before the surgery is completed?

The hospitalist  will become the first assistant, and bill as such.

• Can I call the hospitalist to assist with difficult vaginal deliveries?

          Absolutely.

• If I have a complicated patient, can I just turn her over to the ob hospitalist?

No.  

Patients cannot be turned over on the basis of severity or pay status.

• Will ob hospitalists round on my postpartum and post-operative patients?

Yes; if the hospitalists are covering your practice.