Hospitalists work hard (not that we have to tell you that!), so celebrating March 6 as National Hospitalist Day is an ideal time to recognize the work done in hospital medicine. The Hospitalist recently caught up with a handful of hospitalists to find out more about their work and what makes them tick professionally. Their stories are organized under the themes of Advancing Care, Building Community, and Creating Opportunities (in other words, the ABCs).
Read on to discover more about these hardworking hospitalists.
The Journal of Hospital Medicine’s Digital Media Team helps build community within hospital medicine.
Advancing care
Dr. Press
Valerie Press, MD, FAAP, FACP, MPH, SFHM, is a professor of medicine and pediatrics, an associate chief in the clinical transformation office, and medical director of the care transitions clinic at the University of Chicago in Illinois.
Current research from Dr. Press focuses on improving care quality for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Specifically, her research evaluates how to use the time of hospitalization to help patients receive guideline-recommended care during hospitalization and post discharge to reduce future exacerbations.
Dr. Press’ research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Research on Healthcare and Quality (ARHQ). SHM is an investigator for both studies.
The NIH-funded project is a five-year study working with 20 hospitals across the U.S. During the first phase of the three-part study, sites worked with the study team to identify two to three interventions to make up their transition-of-care bundle for patients with COPD using implementation science and human-centered design methods.
In phase two of the study, the 20 hospitals were randomized into one of four groups. Sites were randomized to deliver the interventions they chose either virtually or in person, and they received implementation support through SHM’s mentored implementation model at all sites, with half also receiving co-design, which is a human-centered design approach.
Although the study implications are not yet published, Dr. Press shared that pulmonary rehabilitation was recognized by many of the sites as an important care aspect but that some sites could not include it in their bundle due to resource limitations. Another area that received attention was better education for rescue- and control-based inhalers, which can be hard to use.
Currently, the study is in its post-implementation phase, which involves collecting data for two additional years to understand which programs were successfully implemented and sustained.
The second project is funded by AHRQ and takes place at Dr. Press’ hospital as a single-site study. Researchers are taking evidence-based approaches to virtual self-management for COPD using pharmacy-led strategies.
The study’s first phase involved published evidence-based approaches with a user-centered design approach tailored for the hospital’s patient population. The second phase will test whether adding the evidence-based tailored approach of using pharmacy-led virtual self-management visits to the existing COPD transitions-of-care program adds value for both patients and the hospital.
The study’s third phase will involve disseminating lessons learned via the group HOMERuN (Hospital Medicine Reengineering Network).
One barrier the study at Dr. Press’ institution will address is the lack of equitable access to broadband internet and/or reliable Wi-Fi access, which can affect patients’ access to the growing telehealth care and education opportunities, she explains.
“We need to move forward with these technology interventions when it’s appropriate, but not let them kind of worsen disparities in health or healthcare,” Dr. Press said.
Dr. Press shares that as a physician-researcher, she enjoys the one-on-one care of patients and also finding solutions that can help many.
“Being part of a system, you identify opportunities where perhaps you could help the population at large and not solve a problem over and over, one by one … The work that I do tries to use rigorous research methods to study very practical questions. That’s the field of implementation science. We have evidence to say X, Y, or Z could help patients, but we’re not necessarily doing it systematically. So how do we get that evidence into practice? It’s very satisfying to try and think about taking all that hard work that went into that evidence and getting it out into the care for patients,” she said.
Building community
Dr. Brooks
Michelle Brooks, MD, FACP, SFHM, is deputy associate chief of staff for education and a hospitalist at South Texas Veterans Health Care System in San Antonio. She is also adjoint associate professor at Long School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and deputy editor of digital media for the Journal of Hospital Medicine (JHM).
The editorial team leading JHM, established in 2006, wants JHM to be “More Than a Journal.”
They’re doing that successfully in several ways by connecting to readers.
“While we want people to submit their scholarly work to us, we also want them to connect to the larger hospital medicine community,” Dr. Brooks said. She joined as a co-deputy editor for digital media in 2023, and the team brainstormed about what a digital team could do for JHM.
That led them to create their mission statement: The mission of the JHM Digital Media Team is to develop, design, and disseminate dynamic digital content that informs, inspires, and interconnects the hospital medicine community.
That mission has led the journal editors to introduce several outreach efforts:
#JHMChat: This online journal club on Twitter/X is a scheduled event with opportunities for both synchronous and asynchronous discussion about a JHM article, Dr. Brooks says. (Some follow-up articles from #JHMChat have been published on The Hospitalist’s website.)
Expanding the Digital Footprint: JHM now has accounts on other platforms, including recently adding Instagram and LinkedIn.
Visual Abstracts: To help provide more visual content, the JHM editors use visual abstracts to recognize authors’ efforts and engage readers visually, Dr. Brooks explains. “The images can be shared when teaching on wards or to give a synopsis of an article to a colleague. Popular visual abstracts include those made for the Things We Do For No Reason series,” she said.
Video Content: The JHM digital team experiments with music, shared visual abstracts, and fun content, such as a “Get Ready With Me” video for SHM Converge, created by digital media teammate Joe Thomas, MD.
Connecting Through Music: “We also created a JHM Editorial Picks Spotify playlist, just for fun,” Dr. Brooks said.
Downloads of JHM have increased year to year, which is in part due to the digital media efforts. Dr. Brooks also met people at SHM Converge last year who knew her through JHM’s social media.
“Other journals have started forming digital media teams and have reached out to us for assistance. I’ve started a digital media fellowship curriculum for JHM covering many of the core topics,” she said.
Members of JHM’s Digital Media Team love a good #JHMChat!
JHM’s digital team hopes to increase its presence at SHM Converge and recruit some content creators or social media ambassadors. “We will recruit new digital media fellows for 2025-2026, and we plan to monitor the social media landscape and expand to emerging platforms, such as Bluesky, if they show sustained growth with our readership population,” Dr. Brooks said.
Finding additional ways to connect with readers helps readers to obtain information, advocate for causes, and connect with the greater community, Dr. Brooks says.
“JHM not only engages in these spaces but also leads and creates easily digestible content for busy hospitalists to consume on the go and share with their fellow hospitalists. [That] really makes us different as a journal,” Dr. Brooks said.
SHM also has been very supportive, she adds.
Creating opportunities
Dr. Hrach
Christine M. Hrach, MD, SFHM, is a professor of pediatrics in hospitalist medicine, at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Dr. Hrach has been part of SHM since the beginning of her career and became an SHM Senior Fellow in 2016. She has been active in a variety of roles and joined the Pediatrics SIG Executive Council in 2019. She is still part of that Special Interest Group (SIG).
Dr. Hrach is currently co-chair for Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2025 (to be held in July 24 to 27 in Anaheim, California) and is in her third year of serving on the PHM Planning Committee.
Dr. Hrach enjoys her role in planning PHM 25. “Working with the SHM planning team is fabulous. They keep us organized and on track with our timeline,” she said.
Those in pediatric hospital medicine or those who just want to learn more about it will get a lot out of attending, she says.
“I think one of the most important reasons to attend is to network with friends and colleagues who are passionate about Pediatric Hospital Medicine across the country. With ACGME [Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education] changes, last year’s residency match, and workforce issues, I think this is an important year to get together and discuss some of these hot topics,” she said.
Staying active in SHM has given Dr. Hrach the chance to build networks across the country and collaborate with others. “Being a part of SHM has expanded my own career growth and leadership by learning from my colleagues and now friends across the country in Pediatric Hospital Medicine [PHM],” she said.
Dr. Hrach also shares what drives her within pediatric hospital medicine. “I love the clinical work that I do—taking care of acutely sick children in the hospital,” she said. “I am interested in quality improvement and strive to work on hospital issues to improve our system daily. I have gained the knowledge and support I need to do my job through the mentoring and support of colleagues within my own division of pediatric hospitalist medicine and across our PHM community.”
Dr. Migliore
Christopher Migliore, MD, MS, FACP, FHM, is director of general medicine consult and perioperative services, medical director of surgery and surgical step-down, and an assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York.
Dr. Migliore contributes to hospital medicine education in a variety of ways, such as serving as a Spark author and then recently becoming a section editor, a role he currently holds. He is also a member of the Academic Committee (and co-chair of the Academic Summit) and a new addition to The Hospitalist editorial board.
Spark is a question bank written by hospitalists designed to help prepare fellow hospitalists for board review. Within Spark, Dr. Migliore answers his own assigned questions but also takes on orphan questions.
Dr. Migliore decided to join SHM and became active within the group to network, increase his clinical acumen, and become a better physician for patients. At the same time, he always has had a passion for education, so his current roles are a great match for his interests and skills.
“What SHM allows is for you to meet all of these people from different practice environments. When you sit down and talk with them at Converge or in a SIG, there are cool opportunities. You get new ways of thinking,” he said.
Dr. Migliore’s interest in working with The Hospitalist editorial board was spurred by intense pressures within the specialty. Members can turn to the magazine and use SHM as a guiding light.
“The Hospitalist and SHM provide a place where hospitalists can go and not only can they network, but they can read practice blurbs that help them right now,” he said. “It’s a good hub to stay not only up to date on the latest papers but also get practical advice on burnout and how to deal with stress. I don’t want to sound dramatic, but it’s kind of like a buoy in the middle of an ocean, a place of respite, because you know when you get to it, it’s going to be filled with things that can help you.”
For hospitalists looking to broaden their career and also grow within SHM, Dr. Migliore emphasizes seeking mentors. A great place to start is by joining a SIG.
The second thing that he advises is looking at the SHM committee list and finding a committee that you have passion for and applying for that committee. “You may not get on the first time and that’s fine, but continue to demonstrate your passion,” he said. Be persistent about it.
“Once you get on the committee, volunteer and shine, and then you might get a bigger leadership position, perhaps even becoming head of the committee,” he said.
The final thing that Dr. Migliore advises is reading SHM emails closely. This can be tough as everyone gets overwhelmed by emails, texts, and all other types of messages nowadays. Still, make the effort to get laser-focused on those SHM communications.
“Take the time, just to make sure you’re not missing out on an opportunity that can help you reach your goals,” he said.
“If you find even one thing that you have passion for, sign up. There might be opportunities for research, collaboration, and publications,” he said.
Dr. Moon
Woo J Moon, DO, FACP, is an associate professor of medicine, associate program director of the internal medicine residency, program director of the medicine POCUS service, and co-director of undergraduate medical education in ultrasound at Saint Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Dr. Moon has dedicated a large amount of time to helping hospital medicine physicians learn more about point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS). He has been part of the POCUS SIG Executive Council since 2022 and has been the SIG’s secretary since early 2024. He also has been a POCUS Certificate of Completion image review faculty member since 2022 and will join the POCUS Certificate of Completion Steering Committee starting this April.
Dr. Moon believes that his interest in POCUS reflects its large future role within medicine, even beyond hospital medicine. “Many healthcare systems and academic programs are looking for POCUS champions to lead the hospitalist or residency programs. It has allowed me to grow into a more competent hospitalist and teacher,” he said.
He believes that participation within SHM has many advantages. “Being part of SHM committees allows me to connect with others with similar interests, and I get to keep up with the latest advancements in the rapidly changing field of hospital medicine and POCUS,” he said.
“I also like that this allows me to make contributions to the field, which helps others that are currently where I was when I was fresh out of residency and just garnering interest in POCUS,” he said.
Dr. Moon has been an SHM member since 2014.
For other hospitalists looking to grow professionally, he encourages volunteering for SHM committee work to grow as a professional.
Vanessa Caceres is a medical writer in Bradenton, Fla.