Continuous infectious diseases coverage by merging with a hospitalist practice in a small community hospital system.

Abstract

Access to infectious diseases physicians has been increasingly difficult, as many infectious diseases fellowship programs have unfilled positions. This has coincided with increasing numbers of internal medicine residents pursuing hospitalist medicine. A small community hospital system merged its infectious diseases practice into a hospitalist group. The group has been able to maintain continuous coverage. Although the majority of physicians enjoyed the work-life balance of being an ID-hospitalist, the majority preferred to do ID without hospital medicine.