Within the next three years, Murer says, hospitalists need to continue to infiltrate inpatient medical services, demonstrate their worth, and show the cost efficiencies that arise from their profession. “I think they’ve got a window of three years to really decide how much of that [inpatient physician] market they will retain,” she says.
Despite the current volatility, both Murer and Dr. Zipper agree that hospitalists are well positioned to take advantage of the coming changes in the healthcare delivery system. But to seize the opportunity, hospitalists must clearly demonstrate the necessity of their services in the emerging models of care and claim an early seat at the table where decisions will be made about how the pot of money is dispersed. Doing so could help resolve one of the most important financial considerations of all: job security. TH
Bryn Nelson is a freelance medical writer based in Seattle.
References
- Adamy J. Health insurers plan hikes. Wall Street Journal website. Available at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703720004575478200948908976.html. Accessed Sept. 21, 2010.
- Cutter S. Look you in the eye. The White House website. Available at: www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/09/23/look-you-eye. Accessed Sept. 27, 2010.
- How will the economy affect hospitalist salaries? MedPage Today website. Available at: www.kevinmd .com/blog/2009/03/how-will-economy-affect-hospitalist-2.html. Accessed Sept. 27, 2010.