Dr. Nelson has been a practicing hospitalist since 1988. He is co-founder and past president of SHM and principal in Nelson Flores Hospital Medicine Consultants. He is co-director for SHM's "Best Practices in Managing a Hospital Medicine Program" course. Write to him at john.nelson@nelsonflores.com.
Opinion
A Quick Lesson on Bundled Payments
Bundled payment programs are the most visible of CMS’s episode payment models (EPMs)
Opinion
Surveys Are Not the Most Effective Way to Improve Patient Satisfaction
I think the single most valuable thing to improve patient satisfaction with hospitalists is to phone patients after discharge
Opinion
Thinking through the State of Hospital Medicine Report
Collections are up, but the number of encounters overall is down—what gives?
Opinion
Simple Strategy for Addressing Problematic Patient Behavior
Linden Spital, NP, a psychiatric mental-health nurse practitioner, staffs the Psychiatric Consultation Liaison Service at the University of...
Opinion
Lesson in Improper Allocations, Unaccounted for NP/PA Contributions
I visited during a hot Florida summer in the mid 1990s and could readily see that the practice was great in most respects. The large...
Opinion
Things Hospitalists Want Hospital Administrators to Know
I think it is really cool that this publication has a series of articles on “What Cardiologists [or infection disease specialists, nephrologists,...
Opinion
Attributes of Successful Hospitalist Groups
In the first two installments of my own list of attributes that are important underpinnings of successful hospitalist groups, I covered group...
Opinion
Tips for Policy and Procedure Manuals, Along with Roles for NP/PAs
Editor’s note: Second in a three-part series. This month continues my list of important issues that help position your hospitalist group for...
Opinion
A Closer Look at Characteristics of High-Performing HM Groups
Early in 2015, SHM published the updated edition of the “Key Principles and Characteristics of an Effective Hospital Medicine Group,” which is a...
Opinion
A New Schedule Could Be Better for Your Hospitalist Group
Present “hospitalist” in a word association exercise to a wide range of healthcare personnel in clinical and administrative roles, and many would...
Opinion
Concerns Grow as Top Clinicians Choose Nonclinical Roles
On a spring day a couple of years ago, I met with some internal medicine residents in a “Healthcare Systems Immersion” elective.
Opinion
Poor Continuity of Patient Care Increases Work for Hospitalist Groups
[caption id="attachment_12166" align="alignright" width="295"] Image Credit: ILLUSTRATION/PAUL JUESTRICH; PHOTOs shutterstock.com[/caption] I...
Opinion
Eliminations Hospitalist Groups Should Consider
[caption id="attachment_11771" align="alignright" width="295"] Image Credit: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM[/caption] Editor’s note: Second in a continuing...
Opinion
Hospital Groups Might Do Better Without Daytime Admission Shifts, Morning Meetings
[caption id="attachment_11415" align="alignright" width="295"] Image Credit: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM[/caption] You shouldn’t maintain things that do not...
Opinion
Why Hospitalist Morale is Declining and Ways to Improve It
[caption id="attachment_11094" align="alignright" width="250"] Some hospitals have begun to resist providing more support, and this translates...