A new report on how hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) spreads after patients are discharged has at least one hospitalist wondering whether HM could, or should, take a leading role in reducing MRSA transfers.

The study, "Carriage of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Home Care Settings," identified MRSA in 191 of the 1,501 patients (12.7%) who were screened before discharge from French hospitals in 2003 and 2004. Researchers reported that 19% of relatives and caretakers who came into contact with the patients identified with MRSA also acquired the bacteria (Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(15)1372-1378).

Hospitalist and infectious-disease specialist James Pile, MD, FACP, FHM, interim director of the Division of Hospital Medicine at CWRU/MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, says the study might be most important for the questions it raises regarding the degree to which community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) is colonizing household contacts of discharged patients, as the burden of clinical disease in those individuals is likely to be greater than in those colonized with traditional, healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). CA-MRSA appears to be supplanting HA-MRSA in many hospitals, Dr. Pile says, and the simple intervention of more rigorous hand washing by caregivers and other household contacts of patients discharged with MRSA infections could help limit the associated fallout.

“This is a chance for healthcare professionals, and hospitalists specifically, to recognize that and to counsel that as patients leave the hospital,” Dr. Pile says.

The authors note that “because none of the household contacts who acquired MRSA developed an infection, it is unclear whether this transmission represents a serious health problem.”

To that end, Dr. Pile says HM should wait for more definitive studies before committing to potentially time-consuming QI projects focused on MRSA transmissions to the home. “Before hospitalists galvanize their resources to try to tackle this problem,” Dr. Pile says, “we want to make sure there is enough bang for the buck.”

A new report on how hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) spreads after patients are discharged has at least one hospitalist wondering whether HM could, or should, take a leading role in reducing MRSA transfers.

The study, "Carriage of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Home Care Settings," identified MRSA in 191 of the 1,501 patients (12.7%) who were screened before discharge from French hospitals in 2003 and 2004. Researchers reported that 19% of relatives and caretakers who came into contact with the patients identified with MRSA also acquired the bacteria (Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(15)1372-1378).

Hospitalist and infectious-disease specialist James Pile, MD, FACP, FHM, interim director of the Division of Hospital Medicine at CWRU/MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, says the study might be most important for the questions it raises regarding the degree to which community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) is colonizing household contacts of discharged patients, as the burden of clinical disease in those individuals is likely to be greater than in those colonized with traditional, healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). CA-MRSA appears to be supplanting HA-MRSA in many hospitals, Dr. Pile says, and the simple intervention of more rigorous hand washing by caregivers and other household contacts of patients discharged with MRSA infections could help limit the associated fallout.

“This is a chance for healthcare professionals, and hospitalists specifically, to recognize that and to counsel that as patients leave the hospital,” Dr. Pile says.

The authors note that “because none of the household contacts who acquired MRSA developed an infection, it is unclear whether this transmission represents a serious health problem.”

To that end, Dr. Pile says HM should wait for more definitive studies before committing to potentially time-consuming QI projects focused on MRSA transmissions to the home. “Before hospitalists galvanize their resources to try to tackle this problem,” Dr. Pile says, “we want to make sure there is enough bang for the buck.”

A new report on how hospital-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) spreads after patients are discharged has at least one hospitalist wondering whether HM could, or should, take a leading role in reducing MRSA transfers.

The study, "Carriage of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Home Care Settings," identified MRSA in 191 of the 1,501 patients (12.7%) who were screened before discharge from French hospitals in 2003 and 2004. Researchers reported that 19% of relatives and caretakers who came into contact with the patients identified with MRSA also acquired the bacteria (Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(15)1372-1378).

Hospitalist and infectious-disease specialist James Pile, MD, FACP, FHM, interim director of the Division of Hospital Medicine at CWRU/MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, says the study might be most important for the questions it raises regarding the degree to which community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) is colonizing household contacts of discharged patients, as the burden of clinical disease in those individuals is likely to be greater than in those colonized with traditional, healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). CA-MRSA appears to be supplanting HA-MRSA in many hospitals, Dr. Pile says, and the simple intervention of more rigorous hand washing by caregivers and other household contacts of patients discharged with MRSA infections could help limit the associated fallout.

“This is a chance for healthcare professionals, and hospitalists specifically, to recognize that and to counsel that as patients leave the hospital,” Dr. Pile says.

The authors note that “because none of the household contacts who acquired MRSA developed an infection, it is unclear whether this transmission represents a serious health problem.”

To that end, Dr. Pile says HM should wait for more definitive studies before committing to potentially time-consuming QI projects focused on MRSA transmissions to the home. “Before hospitalists galvanize their resources to try to tackle this problem,” Dr. Pile says, “we want to make sure there is enough bang for the buck.”

Published research on hospitalist quality, cost-effectiveness, and other outcomes, such as a recent study in Archives of Internal Medicine (2009;169(15):1389-1394) that shows hospitalists achieve higher scores on three quality-of-care measures, can provide ammunition for HM leaders trying to justify their programs’ worth to hospital administrators, says one HM group leader.

In the study, Lenny Lopez, MD, MPH, and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital examined Hospital Quality Alliance data from 3,619 hospitals, 40% of which had hospitalists. They compared composite measures of quality of care for acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia, and found that scores were higher for the hospitals with hospitalist programs.

Such studies help shed light on the central questions of hospitalists’ value, says Julia Wright, MD, FHM, head of the hospital medicine section at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Initially, the question was whether the hospitalist model was even viable, which Dr. Wright believes has been laid to rest. The next questions involved efficiency and bottom-line issues—such as length of stay—and a strong case has been made overall for HM’s cost-effectiveness, she says. Quality of care has been harder to demonstrate, but newer quality measures make it easier to report, Dr. Wright adds.

Dr. Wright says the Lopez study, which highlights hospitalists’ ability to conform to guidelines, will be valuable to hospitalist groups. “We do talk with our administration about these questions, although we focus more on alignment of goals and mission, occasionally citing articles like this,” she says. “More important is to be aware of the core quality issues and have metrics of our own.”

Then again, programs just starting out might find the research essential, she says.

“Hospitalists participate in any number of quality initiatives,” Dr. Wright adds. “A lot of their data could be published and added to the small library of research on hospital medicine’s contributions to quality.”

Published research on hospitalist quality, cost-effectiveness, and other outcomes, such as a recent study in Archives of Internal Medicine (2009;169(15):1389-1394) that shows hospitalists achieve higher scores on three quality-of-care measures, can provide ammunition for HM leaders trying to justify their programs’ worth to hospital administrators, says one HM group leader.

In the study, Lenny Lopez, MD, MPH, and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital examined Hospital Quality Alliance data from 3,619 hospitals, 40% of which had hospitalists. They compared composite measures of quality of care for acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia, and found that scores were higher for the hospitals with hospitalist programs.

Such studies help shed light on the central questions of hospitalists’ value, says Julia Wright, MD, FHM, head of the hospital medicine section at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Initially, the question was whether the hospitalist model was even viable, which Dr. Wright believes has been laid to rest. The next questions involved efficiency and bottom-line issues—such as length of stay—and a strong case has been made overall for HM’s cost-effectiveness, she says. Quality of care has been harder to demonstrate, but newer quality measures make it easier to report, Dr. Wright adds.

Dr. Wright says the Lopez study, which highlights hospitalists’ ability to conform to guidelines, will be valuable to hospitalist groups. “We do talk with our administration about these questions, although we focus more on alignment of goals and mission, occasionally citing articles like this,” she says. “More important is to be aware of the core quality issues and have metrics of our own.”

Then again, programs just starting out might find the research essential, she says.

“Hospitalists participate in any number of quality initiatives,” Dr. Wright adds. “A lot of their data could be published and added to the small library of research on hospital medicine’s contributions to quality.”

Published research on hospitalist quality, cost-effectiveness, and other outcomes, such as a recent study in Archives of Internal Medicine (2009;169(15):1389-1394) that shows hospitalists achieve higher scores on three quality-of-care measures, can provide ammunition for HM leaders trying to justify their programs’ worth to hospital administrators, says one HM group leader.

In the study, Lenny Lopez, MD, MPH, and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital examined Hospital Quality Alliance data from 3,619 hospitals, 40% of which had hospitalists. They compared composite measures of quality of care for acute myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, and pneumonia, and found that scores were higher for the hospitals with hospitalist programs.

Such studies help shed light on the central questions of hospitalists’ value, says Julia Wright, MD, FHM, head of the hospital medicine section at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Initially, the question was whether the hospitalist model was even viable, which Dr. Wright believes has been laid to rest. The next questions involved efficiency and bottom-line issues—such as length of stay—and a strong case has been made overall for HM’s cost-effectiveness, she says. Quality of care has been harder to demonstrate, but newer quality measures make it easier to report, Dr. Wright adds.

Dr. Wright says the Lopez study, which highlights hospitalists’ ability to conform to guidelines, will be valuable to hospitalist groups. “We do talk with our administration about these questions, although we focus more on alignment of goals and mission, occasionally citing articles like this,” she says. “More important is to be aware of the core quality issues and have metrics of our own.”

Then again, programs just starting out might find the research essential, she says.

“Hospitalists participate in any number of quality initiatives,” Dr. Wright adds. “A lot of their data could be published and added to the small library of research on hospital medicine’s contributions to quality.”

New research suggests adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with leukemias and lymphomas are living longer than such patients did 2 decades ago.

However, their survival still lags behind survival in children. It even lags behind survival in older adults in the case of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML).

Investigators reported these findings online August 24 ahead of the November 1 print edition of Cancer.

Dianne Pulte, MD, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and colleagues analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database to determine survival rates of young people with Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), AML, and chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML).

They compared data from 1981–1985 with data from 2001–2005.

The investigators found that survival had improved significantly in each of the 5 malignancies. For AYAs with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 10-year survival increased from 80.4% to 93.4%. For those with NHL, it increased from 55.6% to 76.2%; for those with ALL, from 30.5% to 52.1%; for those with AML, from 15.2% to 45.1%; and for those with CML, from 0% to 74.5%.

They analyzed the data further and found that the survival rate for young people with the lymphomas or CML had improved steadily over the 2 decades. And the survival rate was stable for patients with the acute leukemias during the late 1990s and early 21st century.

However, they found that survival in AYAs is still not as good as the survival rate for children with these hematologic malignancies, with the exception of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. And survival in AYAs with AML lags behind survival in older adults.

The investigators acknowledge that improving survival rates for the AYA population is a major challenge. Dr Pulte suggests that “more research into how to treat these diseases and how to make sure that all patients have access to the best treatment is needed.”

New research suggests adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with leukemias and lymphomas are living longer than such patients did 2 decades ago.

However, their survival still lags behind survival in children. It even lags behind survival in older adults in the case of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML).

Investigators reported these findings online August 24 ahead of the November 1 print edition of Cancer.

Dianne Pulte, MD, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and colleagues analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database to determine survival rates of young people with Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), AML, and chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML).

They compared data from 1981–1985 with data from 2001–2005.

The investigators found that survival had improved significantly in each of the 5 malignancies. For AYAs with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 10-year survival increased from 80.4% to 93.4%. For those with NHL, it increased from 55.6% to 76.2%; for those with ALL, from 30.5% to 52.1%; for those with AML, from 15.2% to 45.1%; and for those with CML, from 0% to 74.5%.

They analyzed the data further and found that the survival rate for young people with the lymphomas or CML had improved steadily over the 2 decades. And the survival rate was stable for patients with the acute leukemias during the late 1990s and early 21st century.

However, they found that survival in AYAs is still not as good as the survival rate for children with these hematologic malignancies, with the exception of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. And survival in AYAs with AML lags behind survival in older adults.

The investigators acknowledge that improving survival rates for the AYA population is a major challenge. Dr Pulte suggests that “more research into how to treat these diseases and how to make sure that all patients have access to the best treatment is needed.”

New research suggests adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with leukemias and lymphomas are living longer than such patients did 2 decades ago.

However, their survival still lags behind survival in children. It even lags behind survival in older adults in the case of acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML).

Investigators reported these findings online August 24 ahead of the November 1 print edition of Cancer.

Dianne Pulte, MD, of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and colleagues analyzed data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database to determine survival rates of young people with Hodgkin lymphoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), AML, and chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML).

They compared data from 1981–1985 with data from 2001–2005.

The investigators found that survival had improved significantly in each of the 5 malignancies. For AYAs with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 10-year survival increased from 80.4% to 93.4%. For those with NHL, it increased from 55.6% to 76.2%; for those with ALL, from 30.5% to 52.1%; for those with AML, from 15.2% to 45.1%; and for those with CML, from 0% to 74.5%.

They analyzed the data further and found that the survival rate for young people with the lymphomas or CML had improved steadily over the 2 decades. And the survival rate was stable for patients with the acute leukemias during the late 1990s and early 21st century.

However, they found that survival in AYAs is still not as good as the survival rate for children with these hematologic malignancies, with the exception of patients with Hodgkin lymphoma. And survival in AYAs with AML lags behind survival in older adults.

The investigators acknowledge that improving survival rates for the AYA population is a major challenge. Dr Pulte suggests that “more research into how to treat these diseases and how to make sure that all patients have access to the best treatment is needed.”

Dr. Joel Gelfand discusses research concerning the use of biologics and lymphoma risk. Kerri Wachter of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy 2009 meeting in Boston.

Dr. Joel Gelfand discusses research concerning the use of biologics and lymphoma risk. Kerri Wachter of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy 2009 meeting in Boston.

Dr. Joel Gelfand discusses research concerning the use of biologics and lymphoma risk. Kerri Wachter of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the American Academy of Dermatology's Academy 2009 meeting in Boston.

Endobronchial dysplasia significantly improved in former smokees who received oral iloprost during a phase II trial, says study investigator Dr. Robert Keith. Bob Finn of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco.

Endobronchial dysplasia significantly improved in former smokees who received oral iloprost during a phase II trial, says study investigator Dr. Robert Keith. Bob Finn of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco.

Endobronchial dysplasia significantly improved in former smokees who received oral iloprost during a phase II trial, says study investigator Dr. Robert Keith. Bob Finn of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco.

Dr. Roy S. Herbst reflects on the most clinically relevant studies presented at the world conference of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Dr. Herbst is chief of Thoracic Head and Neck Medical Oncology at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. He is also associate editor of the Oncology Report, an Elsevier publication. GMNN's Bob Finn reports.

Dr. Roy S. Herbst reflects on the most clinically relevant studies presented at the world conference of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Dr. Herbst is chief of Thoracic Head and Neck Medical Oncology at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. He is also associate editor of the Oncology Report, an Elsevier publication. GMNN's Bob Finn reports.

Dr. Roy S. Herbst reflects on the most clinically relevant studies presented at the world conference of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer. Dr. Herbst is chief of Thoracic Head and Neck Medical Oncology at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. He is also associate editor of the Oncology Report, an Elsevier publication. GMNN's Bob Finn reports.

An investigational device can discriminate normal cells from cancerous cells in sputum with 90% sensitivity and near 100% specificity, according to its manufacturer, VisionGate, Inc. Bob Finn of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco.

An investigational device can discriminate normal cells from cancerous cells in sputum with 90% sensitivity and near 100% specificity, according to its manufacturer, VisionGate, Inc. Bob Finn of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco.

An investigational device can discriminate normal cells from cancerous cells in sputum with 90% sensitivity and near 100% specificity, according to its manufacturer, VisionGate, Inc. Bob Finn of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco.

A hospitalist-orthopedic comanagement model at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., improves both patient care and satisfaction, according to a study published in the July issue of Orthopedics (2009;32:495).

The approach, which dedicates two hospitalists to work with the orthopedists, was the culmination of a joint effort that began in 2005 to address communication issues between the hospitalist consultation service and the orthopedic surgery team, says Edward Gurza, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Loyola's Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago. “The idea was to have the same group of people to take care of patients pre-operatively, peri-operatively, and post-operatively,” Dr. Gurza says. “That’s absolutely critical. With orthopedics, one of the big issues is lack of continuity in the coordination of care.”

The study reports that the length of hospital stays was 0.693 days for 86 high-risk, comanaged patients with multiple comorbidities compared with 0.862 days for 54 patients in the control group. The severity of illness and risk of mortality scores were higher in the study group. The analysis found little effect on costs of care, but patient satisfaction scores for the test groups rose by 5% and 14%, respectively, in the categories of “communication with doctors” and “doctors treated you with respect.”

Dr. Gurza says the program needed no new funding, just a commitment from HM group leaders to dedicate staff to the concept. Hospitalists breed familiarity that cements a bond between physician and patient. “It flows naturally,” he says. “You’re not going out to specifically charm a patient. Hopefully, if you’re doing your job as an internist delivering proper care, patients understand that.”

A hospitalist-orthopedic comanagement model at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., improves both patient care and satisfaction, according to a study published in the July issue of Orthopedics (2009;32:495).

The approach, which dedicates two hospitalists to work with the orthopedists, was the culmination of a joint effort that began in 2005 to address communication issues between the hospitalist consultation service and the orthopedic surgery team, says Edward Gurza, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Loyola's Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago. “The idea was to have the same group of people to take care of patients pre-operatively, peri-operatively, and post-operatively,” Dr. Gurza says. “That’s absolutely critical. With orthopedics, one of the big issues is lack of continuity in the coordination of care.”

The study reports that the length of hospital stays was 0.693 days for 86 high-risk, comanaged patients with multiple comorbidities compared with 0.862 days for 54 patients in the control group. The severity of illness and risk of mortality scores were higher in the study group. The analysis found little effect on costs of care, but patient satisfaction scores for the test groups rose by 5% and 14%, respectively, in the categories of “communication with doctors” and “doctors treated you with respect.”

Dr. Gurza says the program needed no new funding, just a commitment from HM group leaders to dedicate staff to the concept. Hospitalists breed familiarity that cements a bond between physician and patient. “It flows naturally,” he says. “You’re not going out to specifically charm a patient. Hopefully, if you’re doing your job as an internist delivering proper care, patients understand that.”

A hospitalist-orthopedic comanagement model at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., improves both patient care and satisfaction, according to a study published in the July issue of Orthopedics (2009;32:495).

The approach, which dedicates two hospitalists to work with the orthopedists, was the culmination of a joint effort that began in 2005 to address communication issues between the hospitalist consultation service and the orthopedic surgery team, says Edward Gurza, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Loyola's Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago. “The idea was to have the same group of people to take care of patients pre-operatively, peri-operatively, and post-operatively,” Dr. Gurza says. “That’s absolutely critical. With orthopedics, one of the big issues is lack of continuity in the coordination of care.”

The study reports that the length of hospital stays was 0.693 days for 86 high-risk, comanaged patients with multiple comorbidities compared with 0.862 days for 54 patients in the control group. The severity of illness and risk of mortality scores were higher in the study group. The analysis found little effect on costs of care, but patient satisfaction scores for the test groups rose by 5% and 14%, respectively, in the categories of “communication with doctors” and “doctors treated you with respect.”

Dr. Gurza says the program needed no new funding, just a commitment from HM group leaders to dedicate staff to the concept. Hospitalists breed familiarity that cements a bond between physician and patient. “It flows naturally,” he says. “You’re not going out to specifically charm a patient. Hopefully, if you’re doing your job as an internist delivering proper care, patients understand that.”

Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are expected to help fill the HM ranks in the coming years, and more than 200 of them showed their dedication to the field by attending the first Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp last week in Chantilly, Va.

Sponsored by SHM, the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the soldout event provided intense training in such clinical areas as cardiac neurologic care, as well as infection control. Attendees also learned valuable practice management tips and learned how to report Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) measures.

"The NPP bootcamp was a success; participants were happy with the content," says Jeanette Kalupa, MSN, ACNP-BC, APNP, an acute-care NP with Cogent Healthcare of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. "The faculty, who were a mix of MDs, NPs, and PAs, were terrific. The NPs and PAs who attended were a mix of experience levels and knowledge levels, in regards to hospital medicine."

Lea Booker, right, a nurse practitioner at Hamot Hospital in Erie, Pa., listens to a presentation by Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, at the Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp last week in Chantilly, Va.

Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, gives a presentation on congestive heart failure.

Robert Bowden, left, of South Dartmouth, Mass., and Sally Figueiredo, right, of North Dighton, Mass., physician assistants at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford, chat during a break.

Attendees listen to a presentation by Chad Whelan, MD, associate professor and director of the hospital medicine program at Loyola University in Chicago.

Attendees listen to a presentation by Chad Whelan, MD, associate professor and director of the hospital medicine program at Loyola University in Chicago.

Over 200 NPPs attended the Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp last week.

"Everyone was there to learn, to network, and to share their own knowledge and experiences, whether they were brand new to the field of hospital medicine or had been practicing for 10 years in the field," said course instructor Lynne Allen, MN, MRNP.

The Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp was meant to be an intense study of routine topics in adult HM practice.

Photo credit: Jay Westcott

Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are expected to help fill the HM ranks in the coming years, and more than 200 of them showed their dedication to the field by attending the first Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp last week in Chantilly, Va.

Sponsored by SHM, the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the soldout event provided intense training in such clinical areas as cardiac neurologic care, as well as infection control. Attendees also learned valuable practice management tips and learned how to report Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) measures.

"The NPP bootcamp was a success; participants were happy with the content," says Jeanette Kalupa, MSN, ACNP-BC, APNP, an acute-care NP with Cogent Healthcare of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. "The faculty, who were a mix of MDs, NPs, and PAs, were terrific. The NPs and PAs who attended were a mix of experience levels and knowledge levels, in regards to hospital medicine."

Lea Booker, right, a nurse practitioner at Hamot Hospital in Erie, Pa., listens to a presentation by Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, at the Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp last week in Chantilly, Va.

Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, gives a presentation on congestive heart failure.

Robert Bowden, left, of South Dartmouth, Mass., and Sally Figueiredo, right, of North Dighton, Mass., physician assistants at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford, chat during a break.

Attendees listen to a presentation by Chad Whelan, MD, associate professor and director of the hospital medicine program at Loyola University in Chicago.

Attendees listen to a presentation by Chad Whelan, MD, associate professor and director of the hospital medicine program at Loyola University in Chicago.

Over 200 NPPs attended the Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp last week.

"Everyone was there to learn, to network, and to share their own knowledge and experiences, whether they were brand new to the field of hospital medicine or had been practicing for 10 years in the field," said course instructor Lynne Allen, MN, MRNP.

The Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp was meant to be an intense study of routine topics in adult HM practice.

Photo credit: Jay Westcott

Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are expected to help fill the HM ranks in the coming years, and more than 200 of them showed their dedication to the field by attending the first Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp last week in Chantilly, Va.

Sponsored by SHM, the American Academy of Physician Assistants, and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the soldout event provided intense training in such clinical areas as cardiac neurologic care, as well as infection control. Attendees also learned valuable practice management tips and learned how to report Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI) measures.

"The NPP bootcamp was a success; participants were happy with the content," says Jeanette Kalupa, MSN, ACNP-BC, APNP, an acute-care NP with Cogent Healthcare of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. "The faculty, who were a mix of MDs, NPs, and PAs, were terrific. The NPs and PAs who attended were a mix of experience levels and knowledge levels, in regards to hospital medicine."

Lea Booker, right, a nurse practitioner at Hamot Hospital in Erie, Pa., listens to a presentation by Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, at the Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp last week in Chantilly, Va.

Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, of Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, gives a presentation on congestive heart failure.

Robert Bowden, left, of South Dartmouth, Mass., and Sally Figueiredo, right, of North Dighton, Mass., physician assistants at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford, chat during a break.

Attendees listen to a presentation by Chad Whelan, MD, associate professor and director of the hospital medicine program at Loyola University in Chicago.

Attendees listen to a presentation by Chad Whelan, MD, associate professor and director of the hospital medicine program at Loyola University in Chicago.

Over 200 NPPs attended the Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp last week.

"Everyone was there to learn, to network, and to share their own knowledge and experiences, whether they were brand new to the field of hospital medicine or had been practicing for 10 years in the field," said course instructor Lynne Allen, MN, MRNP.

The Adult Hospitalist Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Boot Camp was meant to be an intense study of routine topics in adult HM practice.

Photo credit: Jay Westcott

A revolutionary new staging system for lung cancer will unite clinicians from different specialties and nations in characterizing tumor characteristics, node involvement, and metastasis, says Dr. Peter Goldstraw. Betsy Bates of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco.

A revolutionary new staging system for lung cancer will unite clinicians from different specialties and nations in characterizing tumor characteristics, node involvement, and metastasis, says Dr. Peter Goldstraw. Betsy Bates of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco.

A revolutionary new staging system for lung cancer will unite clinicians from different specialties and nations in characterizing tumor characteristics, node involvement, and metastasis, says Dr. Peter Goldstraw. Betsy Bates of the Global Medical News Network (GMNN) reports from the World Conference on Lung Cancer in San Francisco.