White County Medical Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Wes Thorpe to the medical community as the newest member of the WCMC Hospitalist Group.
Dr. Thorpe comes to WCMC from his internal medicine residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Greenville, Penn. Prior to his service there, he completed medical school at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. He and his wife Catherine, daughter Alice, age 3 and son Jude, 6 months, are already enjoying the family-friendly atmosphere Searcy offers.
Dr. Thorpe
“We love to be outdoors spending time with our family; we are greatly blessed,” Dr. Thorpe said. “We love exploring new places, whether it’s around our neighborhood or in a new city. We love the Lord, a strong community and good coffee! We are thankful and honored to be living in such a great city.”
His passion for life and family also extends to his work as a physician. “Having a Hospitalist Group like the one we have at White County Medical Center is a tremendous asset to such a healthcare facility,” Dr. Thorpe said. “Physicians throughout the medical community can refer patients to us during their hospital stay, which provides a service to primary care physicians. Also, the Hospitalist Group gives us the flexibility to see many patients in the hospital as we strive to provide excellent care to our patients. I truly try to approach every single patient as if they were my own family member.”
What is a Hospitalist?
“Hospitalist” is a term commonly used to describe doctors who specifically practice medicine in the hospital. WCMC is fortunate to have five Hospitalists on staff, with the addition of Dr. Thorpe. WCMC’s Hospitalist Group includes Drs. Jayton Lim, Scott Dicus, Noel Tancinco and Rob Camferdam, all of whom specialized in internal medicine during residency training.
“Our Hospitalist Group has a broad and extensive background in acute care,” Dr. Lim said. “We all enjoy getting to know and caring for our patients from White County and the surrounding counties.”
The primary task of a Hospitalist is to provide a continuum of care for patients who are admitted to the hospital by their primary care physicians (PCPs). The WCMC Hospitalist Group serves to benefit physicians in the local medical community, as well as patients in the hospital.
By participating in the WCMC Hospitalist Group, PCPs are able to enhance patient care in their clinics while temporarily entrusting care of their hospitalized patients to the Hospitalist Group. A Hospitalist is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide medical attention for each patient in his care.
“We specialize in treating diseases and caring for hospitalized patients,” Dr. Dicus said. “Our medical practice is fully based in the hospital; essentially, the hospital is our office, which allows us to focus solely on the health and well-being of individual patients.”
Communication between the Hospitalist and PCP is a critical component in the continuation of care for every patient. Hospitalists are in constant communication with PCPs to ensure patients receive the best medical attention possible. Hospitalists prescribe medications and order necessary medical tests for patients during their hospital stays. After a patient is discharged from the hospital, medical information Hospitalists acquire during the patient’s stay is relayed to the PCP when the patient returns to the care of his or her regular doctor for follow-up visits.
Growing Trend
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, Hospitalist programs are common in healthcare facilities throughout the country. A 2007 study published in the medical journal revealed that Hospitalists’ care can reduce a patient’s length of stay in the hospital.
“It gives me great satisfaction to watch the transformation of our patients from the time they are admitted until they leave the hospital,” Dr. Dicus said. “Being able to take people who are ill and return them to their usual state of good health, and in some cases better health, is very satisfying.”
There are many benefits of having a Hospitalist Group. At least one Hospitalist, often two, is in the hospital 24 hours a day, seven days a week to answer questions about medical care for an average of 50 patients. With a vast knowledge about common acute disorders, Hospitalists have a keen ability to recognize and diagnose diseases. Also, since they are based in the hospital and see patients on a consistent basis throughout the day, they can anticipate issues that may arise in the well-being of the patient and respond to them quickly. The constant presence of the hospitalists allows for a smoother transition between the day and evening nursing shifts. That presence also contributes to greater efficiency in patient care and safety.
“As always with our clinic, the care of our patients is the first concern we have,” said family practice physician Dr. David Staggs, who is part of Family Practice Associates, an outpatient department of WCMC. “When Drs. Dicus and Lim agreed to join the WCMC Hospitalist Group, the concerns I had for my hospitalized patients subsided. Dr. Lim and Dr. Dicus are world-class physicians who have chosen to stay and practice here in Searcy. The addition of Dr. Thorpe has enhanced the level of excellence in patient care the Hospitalists provides. We are grateful for the addition of this fine physician to our patient care team.”
