Hospitalist medicine can be practiced by physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and administrators concerned with acutely ill, hospitalized patients. Although a relatively new concept in health care, the issues that these providers address are some of the most critical in the industry. One of the hospitalist’s most pressing concerns is quality improvement. Because a hospital has so many moving parts and integrated teams, systems and process management become just as important to making sure patients get the care they need.

The Society of Hospitalist Medicine (SHM) is the largest national organization representing hospitalists and the practice of hospitalist medicine. And, in collaboration with Continuing Medical Education, the Iowa Chapter of SHM recently held its annual meeting at the end of a day-long symposium of issues related to hospitalist medicine. Members and other area providers gathered at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center in Cedar Rapids. Dr. Melinda Johnson, President of the Iowa Chapter and Professor of Internal Medicine, directed the CME course.

Presentations ranged in topics as widely as the areas that a hospitalist should expect to encounter. Tracy Cardin, the first Hospitalist Nurse Practitioner to join the Board of Directors of the SHM national organization, discussed the increasing trend of incorporating ARNPs and PAs into hospitalist teams and what to watch for during these periods of transition. Dr. Scott Vogelgesang, Division Director of Immunology, led attendees through some puzzling case studies, offering tips on how better to spot certain warning signs. A series of rapid-fire Clinical Pearls on everything from thyroid storms to infections caused by pet pigs to unexplained events in infants were delivered by Dr. Janet Schlechte, Dr. Manish Suneja, Dr. Kelly Wood, Dr. Dianna Edwards, and Dr. John Bennett.

Afternoon workshops led by Chief Pharmacy Officer Mike Brownlee, Dr. Loreen Herwaldt, Dr. Katie Harris, and others, followed a lunch and a poster presentation and competition. Again, a wide variety of relevant material was on display. Process improvements resulting in earlier patient discharges and higher satisfaction rates stood alongside complications resulting from cancer treatments and cardiovascular puzzles. First prize went to Dr. David Terrero Salcedo from Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines for his team’s poster, “Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura after an episode of Severe Clostridium Difficile Colitis.” Other prize winners were teams led by second-year residents Dr. Josiah An and Dr. Katherine Chewnoweth, and medical student Zachary Rasmussen.

Congratulations to Course Director Dr. Johnson and the rest of the Planning Committee on delivering a successful event.

Martin Izakovic, MD
Dianna Edwards, MD
Hendrik Schultz, MD
Ethan Kuperman, MD
Masumi Arakane, MD
Sathvika Velur, MD