Bates County Memorial Hospital Implements New Hospitalist Program to Keep Care Local

click to enlarge

Bates County Memorial Hospital (BCMH) is collaborating with Saint Luke’s Health System and Saint Luke’s Physician Specialists to bring a more advanced level of inpatient care to the community beginning March 1, 2015. Called a hospitalist program, BCMH will utilize a team of inpatient physician specialists trained in internal medicine or family medicine to care for patients while they are hospitalized. The hospitalist team includes Mark Galant, M.D., lead hospitalist, Tamara Crouse, D.O., Preeti Sood, M.D., and Berhane Solomon, M.D.

“The BCMH board carefully considered several options for a hospitalist program, but ultimately decided collaborating with Saint Luke’s, one of the region’s quality health care providers, offered us the best solution for our community,” says Edward Hannon, BCMH Chief Executive Officer.

“A hospitalist program allows us to deliver a more modern approach to inpatient care at BCMH and is much more efficient for our patients and our staff,” says James Miller, D.O., Nursery Street Family Care Clinic. “This program helps us provide a better continuity of care for our patients.”

John Bustle, M.D., Nursery Street and Adrian Family Care Clinics, agrees with Dr. Miller and adds, “The hospitalist program is making it possible for BCMH to offer the same level of care here that is available at many hospitals in the city, without having to transfer patients there. That means we can take care of more patients locally. That’s good for our patients, the community and our hospital.”



BCMH isn’t alone in working with hospitalists. The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) estimates the specialty has expanded from just a few hundred a decade ago, to more than 40,000 practicing hospitalists across the country today.

In the past, many patients were transferred to a hospital in the city for more specialized care. Thanks to the hospitalist program, the care they need now will be only 60 feet away from their primary care provider’s office, instead of 60 miles away.

At BCMH, the hospitalist is on-site seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., overseeing the patient’s care throughout their hospital stay from admission through dismissal. After hours, a member of the hospitalist team is available via an innovative telemedicine program only being used at a handful of area hospitals.

During a telemedicine consult, live video and sound from the patient can be transmitted to the specialist, along with the patient’s test results, such as a CT scan or lab tests. The hospitalist or specialist can determine the best plan of care for the patient. BCMH already successfully uses telemedicine for its stroke program.

When released, patients return to their primary care provider for follow-up and treatment. The BCMH hospitalists work closely with all providers to transition care smoothly, but do not see patients after dismissal unless one is re-admitted to the hospital.

Members of the BCMH Hospital Team include:

Mark Galant, M.D., Lead Hospitalist

Dr. Galant is one of the most experienced hospitalists in the Kansas City area, having practiced hospital medicine exclusively since 1998. Through the years he’s cared for patients at a number of Kansas City area hospitals, including Research Medical Center, Overland Park Regional Medical Center, and most recently, St. Joseph Health Center.

click to enlarge

Dr. Galant is board certified in internal medicine. He performed an internal medicine residency at Truman Medical Center, and earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri Kansas City.

He started his medical career in 1985, establishing his own internal medicine private practice in Belton, Mo. He has lived in Raymore, Mo. for 30 years with his wife, Carol, a nurse at Belton Regional Medical Center.

Tamara Crouse, D.O.

Dr. Crouse practiced as a hospitalist most recently with Heartland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph, Mo. She is board certified in family medicine, and performed her residency at Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Mo. She earned her doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from the Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, Mo.

Preeti Sood, M.D.

Dr. Sood most recently practiced at Centerpoint Medical Center, Independence, Mo. She is board certified in internal medicine. She performed an internal medicine residency with Truman Medical Center/Saint Luke’s Hospital, Kansas City, Mo., and earned her medical degree from Saba University School of Medicine.

Berhane Solomon, M.D.

Dr. Solomon is board certified in internal medicine and practiced as a hospitalist most recently at Heartland Regional Medical Center, St. Joseph, Mo. He performed his residency in internal medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kan., and earned his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine.

For more information about BCMH or the hospitalists, visit www.bcmhospital.com.

bcl420