Hospitalist Investigators Impress Judges at HM12’s Annual RIV Competition

“I’m partial to the procedural project,” said Michael Pistoria, DO, SFHM, a hospitalist at Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pa., and HM13 course director.

Kimberly Tartaglia, MD, was complimented for a succinct presentation of her poster about improving the inpatient management of neonatal jaundice. “Nicely done,” Dr. Modest told the hospitalist from Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus.

But the judges eventually circled back to the Emory poster about rounds done on a nonteaching, medical accountable-care unit, defined as a unit that is consistently responsible for the outcomes it produces. On the unit, interns are trained to lead team-based, patient-centered rounds.

“They really have learned to love it,” Dr. Payne said.

Rounds start punctually each morning, with five minutes spent in each room for updates from the intern, nurse, social worker, patient and family, leading to a plan for the day with a safety checklist and discharge planning checklist, all entered in real time into the medical record by a second intern.

“How hard is it to get through all that in five minutes?” Dr. Modest queried.

“Every month, I get a new set of learners,” Dr. Payne replied. “At the beginning of the month, it doesn’t work as well. But by Week Two, we’re a well-oiled machine.”

The judges huddled again, but quickly agreed to award the poster prize to Dr. Payne.