A hospitalist is a medical doctor who specializes in the care of patients during their stay in the hospital. Because hospital care has become increasingly complex and time consuming, patients may benefit from receiving care delivered by an “in house” doctor, who is always available and can respond immediately to an emergency.
What does it mean to be admitted to a “teaching hospital?”
Cooper University Hospital is the clinical campus of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University. As faculty members, we believe that this teaching enhances and improves our patients’ care and is part of our overall mission.
Your care will be provided by a team of doctors, who work together to provide the most up-to-date medical service. Our hospitalist teams consist of several doctors: a supervising attending physician who is the hospitalist in charge of your medical care, and a resident, intern, or medical student, who may be involved in your care.
How will I know who my doctors will be during my hospital stay?
After you are admitted to the hospital, you will meet the primary medical team that will be caring for you during your hospital stay. Your attending hospitalist will give you his or her business card. In addition, the nurses caring for you each day will know which doctors are caring for you.
During your hospitalization, you should feel free to ask what role other doctors have in your care. Depending on the length of your stay, our primary team of doctors may change during your hospitalization. We work hard to ensure that your new team of doctors will know all about your medical issues.
Who will talk to my family while I am in the hospital?
With your permission, our hospitalist will talk with your family about your medical care. Often, the other doctors on the team (the resident or the intern) will be part of these conversations.
What happens when I am discharged?
As a partner with your primary care doctor, your Cooper hospitalist is committed to keeping your doctor informed about the details of your hospitalization. A letter will be sent to your primary care doctor after you have been discharged outlining your diagnoses, the results of all of your tests and your discharge medications.
Your hospitalist will also give you the prescriptions you need at discharge and make recommendations for follow-up care.
At what hospitals do Cooper University Hospitalists practice?
- Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ
- Inspira Medical Centers Woodbury, Woodbury, NJ
- Inspira Health Network, Elmer, NJ
- Inspira Health Network, Vineland, NJ
- Memorial Hospital of Salem County, Salem, NJ
- Lourdes Specialty Hospital, Willingboro, NJ
- Lourdes Medical Center Burlington County, Willingboro, NJ
- Virtua Voorhees Hospital, Voorhees, NJ
- Virtua Marlton Hospital, Marlton, NJ
- Virtua Memorial Hospital, Mount Holly, NJ
- Kessler Rehab Hospital, Marlton, NJ