In March, Noah J. Finkel, MD, FHM, of Lahey Health System-Lahey Hospital emailed his hospitalist colleagues and encouraged them to join him at HM13 next month. For hospitalists still undecided about attending the largest conference specifically for hospitalists—especially academic hospitalists and those interested in health IT—SHM offers Dr. Finkel’s “Top 10” reasons to register for the annual meeting, which kicks off May 16 at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in National Harbor, Md.
- HM13 offers 22.5 CME credits (sometimes better just to spend a few days cramming it in).
- Hospitalists on the Hill (hospitalmedicine2013.org/advocacy.php): great opportunity to meet with members of Congress and discuss issues important to HM (because you really don’t understand the SGR for Medicare reimbursement).
- Network with other hospitalists from across the country (avoid “local” medical thinking).
- Academic medicine track courses to enhance your teaching and research expertise (please admit that you were probably never formally trained).
- Comanagement pre-course and track to help with Medicine consult and orthopedic comanagement (is it a good time to start a beta-blocker?).
- Updates in the evidence-based medicine track to make sure that you know about the latest research before the medical students do (never good to be revealed as practicing “old medicine”).
- Hospitalist career track lecture to make sure you are climbing the ladder (do you have a career plan at all?).
- CPOE guidelines for inpatient medical care: perfect role for a hospitalist.
- Bob Wachter’s keynote on quality, safety, and IT. He’s the father of HM—’nuff said.
- ZDoggMD, the funniest hospitalist there is!
Dr. Finkel is medical director of information technology, hospital medicine; assistant professor, Tufts University School of Medicine, Lahey Health System-Lahey Hospital, Boston
