From UCI
If it's not already clear how daunting a task confronts Congress and the Obama Administration as they try to reform U.S. health care, here's a small illustration of the complexity that exists in the system. It's the rise of a new medical speciality, one in which experts in Irvine say they are doing pathbreaking work and gaining wide recognition for their accomplishments. They're training top medical pros from across a range of specialties to serve as "hospitalists." These folks offer patients expert navigation through the pricey palaces of outstanding 21st Century medicine -- big hospitals. They see hospitalized patients, follow up on consultations, keep open the lines between primary physicians and specialists, deal with families and generally oversee and monitor care. The Irvine program, its proponents say, excels at improving patient safety and innovations in the quality of care, especially in getting doctors, nurses and other medical staff to work together better and to see that treatment regimens get executed well.
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