A Flexible, Part Time Hospitalist Work Schedule: Just What the “Millennial” Doctor Ordered

Summary:

The focus of this paper is to outline a staffing plan for hospitalists that was designed to be flexible and to include part time physician coverage to better address the needs of the Millennial generation. It challenges the theory that quality of patient care can only be achieved through continuity of care. Instead, quality of care is accomplished through a meticulous redesign of patient hand off procedures as recommended by the Joint Commission. It explores how the accepted staffing paradigms have evolved and why they may no longer be optimal in the current healthcare environment. It concludes by examining the pros and cons associated with the addition of part time staff.