National Hospitalist Day is celebrated annually on the first Thursday of March to recognize the contributions of thousands of hospitalists nationwide. The holiday seeks to encourage us to celebrate the individuals that make up the hospital medicine community. The people that practice hospital medicine are known as hospitalists. They have been and continue to be a critical part of the nation’s health care service delivery. Hospitalists are known for their compassion and care towards patients and they should be celebrated for their continued excellence in their field. If you’re inspired to join this noble profession, here are some nursing scholarships to help you cover your studies.
History of National Hospitalist Day
Every year during the first week in March, National Hospitalist Day recognizes the contributions of more than 60,000 hospitalists nationwide through the Society of Hospital Medicine — the official founders of National Hospitalist Day. Hospitalists, physicians, and other caregivers who practice hospital medicines form part of the members of the Society of Hospital Medicine, which was founded in 1997.
The Society of Hospital Medicine uses education, research, and advocacy as methods of encouraging excellent healthcare for hospitalized patients. They promote quality care by keeping hospitals up-to-date with education and industry-specific information. These are published in their monthly news magazine, “The Hospitalist,” and peer-reviewed journal, “The Journal of Hospital Medicine.”
The National Hospitalist Day’s goal is to recognize the contributions of specialist care doctors who make up the members of the Society of Hospital Medicine in this fastest-growing specialty of modern medicine. The difference between a primary health care doctor and a hospitalist is trivial and negligible. Hospitalists are doctors who provide care for patients at a hospital and typically have the same education and training as primary care doctors but specialize in providing in-hospital care.
In recent times, hospitalists consist of nurse practitioners, physicians, and assistants, as well as practice administrators. Specialists dealing with family, pediatric, and internal medicines and any individual who is dedicated to improving health care delivery may also be called hospitalists. The national holiday aims to appreciate and recognize the increasing figure of dedicated hospitalists in the country.
National Hospitalist Day timeline
Lee Goldman and Robert Wachter, two of the founding members of the Society of Hospital Medicine, first coin the term ‘hospitalist’ in a “New England Journal of Medicine” article in 1996.
The National Association of Inpatient Physicians hosts its first conference.
The Society of Hospital Medicine is founded by John R. Nelson and Winthrop F. Whitcomb in January.
After many years of hospital medicine programs, the Society of Hospital Medicine declares National Hospitalist Day.
National Hospitalist Day FAQs
What does National Hospitalist Day celebrate?
The men and women who are part of the people that make up the hospital medicine community are typically tasked with making our continuous care a priority.
What is the difference between a doctor and a hospitalist?
A doctor simply attends to the medical needs a patient requires, while a hospitalist is a doctor that attends to medical needs while making patient care a top priority. Both doctors and hospitalists undergo the same primary training but with different top priorities.
How can I celebrate National Hospitalist Day?
One way to observe National Hospitalist Day as a patient is to send a thank-you note to a hospitalist you know. You may also subscribe to the Society of Hospital Medicine magazine to learn about the day. Spread the awareness of the day on social media too using #NationalHospitalistDay and #HowWeHospitalist to spotlight the hospitalist you know.
How To Observe National Hospitalist Day
Read Society of Hospital Medicine’s magazine
Learn how hospitalists are transforming patient care by reading the Society of Hospital Medicine’s magazine where it provides continuing education and industry updates for hospitalists. You may also visit the Society of Hospital Medicine (S.H.M.) website: www.hospitalmedicine.org.
Appreciate a hospitalist you know
National Hospitalist Day aims to be the day hospitalists transforming patient care are meant to take special pride in their job and you will do well to send a thank you note to any that you know. You may even share an inspiring story about how they helped you in the past to make the day extra special.
Spread awareness on social media
On this holiday, If you're a hospitalist, the Society of Hospital Medicine encourages you to share your story, and express how you are making a difference in the lives of your patients. On social media, use #NationalHospitalistDay and #HowWeHospitalist to spotlight a hospitalist you know and generate discussion around why you are proud to be practicing hospital medicine.
5 Facts About Hospitalists
Hospitalists sometimes serve as leadership coaches
Hospitalists often provide leadership education to clinicians who are new to a leadership role.
Patients love them!
Patient experience is fundamental to high-quality care and hospitalists' job is to improve it.
National database of hospitalists
There’s a national database of hospitalists and hospital medicine programs.
There's a monthly magazine
“The Hospitalist” is a monthly news magazine that is helpful for hospitalists to stay updated with the latest industry news and education.
John M. Eisenberg Award awardee
The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum awarded the John M. Eisenberg Award to the Society of Hospital Medicine for their innovation in patient safety and quality.
Why National Hospitalist Day Is Important
It recognizes hospital medicine professional’s effort
It takes a lot of dedication to provide patients with superior care. Hospital medicine professionals strive for this goal every day and it is only fair to have a day specially dedicated for them to take pride in their work and share how they are making a difference in the lives of patients.
It’s centered on patients
The National Hospitalist Day aims to encourage us to celebrate the individuals and teams that make up the hospital medicine community who are typically tasked with making our continuous care a priority. The day is as much for them as it is for us!
It promotes the Society of Hospital Medicine
Founded in 1997, the Society of Hospital Medicine was originally known as the National Association of Inpatient Physicians. Its goals include promoting high-quality care for hospitalized patients; advancing education and research in hospital medicine amongst others. National Hospitalist Day serves as a way to promote the Society of Hospital Medicine’s mission.
National Hospitalist Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | March 3 | Thursday |
| 2023 | March 2 | Thursday |
| 2024 | March 7 | Thursday |
| 2025 | March 6 | Thursday |
| 2026 | March 5 | Thursday |
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