Nilam Soni, MD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, spearheaded the ultrasound workshop in collaboration with Dr. Ricardo Franco from John H. Stroger Hospital in Chicago and Dr. Carolina Candotti from Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
Faculty from the Mayo Clinic, including Drs. Jamie Newman, Fernando Rivera, John Park, and Eddie Greene, attended the meeting for a second consecutive time. Their contributions made the event even more attractive to local hospitalists.
—Ofelia Leiva, hospitalist, Curico, Chile
Although HM continues to grow in South America, barriers still exist. Each country has a different healthcare system, and the economic and political forces that drive these systems affect hospitalists and their patients. Certain metrics that are often used to gauge hospitalists’ impact in North America, such as length of stay, are less meaningful in Chile and other countries. Additionally, hospitalists’ ability to participate in conferences and exchange ideas is limited by distance and circumstance; the average hospitalist in Chile earns the equivalent of about $70,000 a year. Lastly, many hospitalists in South America aspire to develop research programs, but obtaining research training is challenging. Such opportunities are limited in South America, and physicians often encounter cost and immigration issues when they seek training abroad.
Despite the challenges, the enthusiasm to advance HM in South America and build international collaborations continues to grow. Hospitalists from different institutions in the U.S. have returned every year to participate in the conference. The opportunity to meet hospitalists from different countries, exchange ideas, and be part of the hospitalist movement abroad draws people back. The energy of the hospitalist movement is still alive.
Dr. Abbott and Dr. Rodriguez are adjunct professors and Dr. Aizman is an assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile School of Medicine in Santiago; Dr. Newman is an assistant professor in the division of hospital medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.; and Dr. Soni is an assistant professor of medicine in the division of hospital medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.