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PHYSICIAN-HOSPITAL ISSUES

Admitting Officer and Hospitalist Programs

RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Medical Society supports the following:

  1. Patients should receive prior notification regarding the implementation and use of
    “admitting officer” or “hospitalist” programs, and

  2. Participating in “admitting officer” or “hospitalist programs” should be at the
    discretion of the patient and the patient’s physician, and

  3. Hospitalist systems should be developed consistent with AMA policy on medical staff bylaws and implemented with approval of the organized medical staff to assure that the principles and structure of the autonomous and self-governing medical staff are retained, and hospitals and other health care organizations should not compel physicians by contractual obligation to assign their patients to “hospitalists” and no punitive measure should be imposed on physicians or patients who decline participation in “hospitalist programs,”

and be it further

RESOLVED, That the North Carolina Medical Society opposes any hospitalist model that disrupts the patient/physician relationship or the continuity of patient care and jeopardizes the integrity of inpatient privileges of attending physicians and physician consultants.

(Resolution 18-1999, adopted as amended 11/14/99)
(revised, Report L2-2004, Item 36, adopted 11/14/2004)
(revised, Report I-2009, Item 3-11, adopted 11/01/2009)