Pediatric clinical: This track covers pediatric hospitalist practice management as well as current clinical issues. Sessions will cover controversies surrounding management of respiratory illnesses and the febrile infant, as well as practice management topics such as contract and salary negotiation and billing and coding.
Academic: This track covers the unique challenges faced by hospitalists in academic medical centers, including dealing with the 80-hour workweek and developing a curriculum for quality improvement and patient safety. The track also covers how to structure a research project and how to write for scientific publications.
Quality: This track addresses the imperative around development and implementation of improvement efforts in the hospital. Practical sessions cover improving physician/nurse communication, rapid response teams, and improving VTE prophylaxis.
Operational: This track covers some of the latest information and ideas for organizational infrastructure in topics such as value-added services, hospitalist burnout, performance management and advances in staffing projections.
New track! Developmental: This new track focuses on career satisfaction, building palliative care services, creating a hospitalist procedure service, and developing and implementing a perioperative care and consultative medicine program.
Regardless of which track or tracks you choose, you’ll have ample opportunity to improve your clinical skills, address operational issues with possible solutions for your hospital medicine group, and be prepared to lead change and innovation at your hospital.
Attendees should also note: You can earn a maximum of 13.25 category 1 credits toward the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award—plus additional credits for pre-courses. (See “Four Pre-Courses Offer In-Depth Education,” above.)
Nationwide Networking
In addition to dozens of educational sessions, the Annual Meeting includes many opportunities to network with colleagues from across the country, including leading experts and trendsetters. Networking events provide natural settings to search for a job or potential candidate, make connections, and get answers to clinical and organizational dilemmas. You can also network with more than 100 exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall to find new information and solutions.
“The networking aspect is beneficial,” says Dr. Amin. “The Mentorship Breakfast on the second day is particularly valuable.” The Mentorship Breakfast matches new or aspiring hospitalists—or those experiencing new challenges in their practice—with experienced hospitalist mentors for small-group discussions. Pre-registration is required for the breakfast. (For more information, visit www.hospitalmedicine.org.)
Another excellent event for networking is Thursday afternoon’s Special Interest Forums. Meet hospitalists with similar interests:
- Community-based hospitalists;
- Medical directors/leadership;
- Pediatric hospitalists;
- Family practice hospitalists;
- Geriatric hospitalists;
- Women in hospital medicine;
- Early career hospitalists;
- Nurse practitioners and physician assistants;
- Education;
- Research; and
- History of medicine.
In addition to the Special Interest Forums, you’ll have the opportunity to meet other hospitalists at a “town hall meeting.” Scheduled for Friday, the town hall meeting will feature a facilitated discussion of pressing topics in hospital medicine, as chosen by those in attendance.