A Q & A with SHM member, Karla Pambogo, RN, MBA
It’s an exciting time to be part of hospital medicine as there are so many opportunities to get involved.
Ms. Pambogo
What’s your favorite part of being an SHM member? My favorite part of being a member of SHM is the resources available and the comradery of connecting with peers throughout the country.
How are you and your peers celebrating Native American Heritage Month at your practice or place of employment? Native American Heritage Month brings a time of self-reflection. As the first person in my family to go to college, I am proud to represent my family and anyone who wants to pursue higher education. It is because of the opportunities I was afforded, that I can participate and contribute at a senior leadership level today. Health care is complicated, especially for patients to navigate. I feel honored to be working with a diverse group of individuals within my organization to help ensure patients and families receive high-quality care in the communities we serve.
Can you tell us a bit more about why you joined SHM and what inspires you to stay involved? I joined SHM in the late 90s when it was still called the National Association of Inpatient Physicians (NAIP). Initially, it was to participate in their national conferences to gain insight and network with other leaders within the hospitalist movement. I have seen a lot of transitions happen through the years as a hospitalist administrator and continue to be inspired to stay involved in SHM for recruitment, educational opportunities, networking, and the sharing of best practices.
Looking to the future of hospital medicine and health care, what are your hopes for equality in all aspects of the field? What can we be doing today to continue these efforts? Looking to the future of hospital medicine, I know we will see things continue to evolve. We have a more diverse group of providers and administrators joining hospital medicine which only helps foster growth and an understanding of different perspectives. One thing we can be doing today is to continue working with hospitals to acknowledge an official department of hospital medicine. This ensures hospitalists have a seat at the medical executive table. Continue to drive and expand the great work within the hospitals around utilization, safety, outcomes, and diversity.
What advice would you share with young leaders and aspiring hospitalists or health care professionals? For young leaders and aspiring hospitalists or health care professionals, I would say, hospital medicine continues to be one of the most dynamic and diverse specialties in health care. It’s an exciting time to be part of hospital medicine as there are so many opportunities to get involved. Their contributions are still not fully realized but as others join the ranks of hospital medicine, we will continue to see innovations and iterations of what it means to be a hospitalist.
Ms. Pambogo is the regional market director of the Nevada region for Independence Physician Management, UHS of Delaware, Inc.