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Message from the Division Director

Hospitalists are clinicians whose primary professional focus is the general medical care of hospitalized patients. Their activities include direct patient care, teaching, research, and leadership in the adult hospital.

Our hospitalists manage acutely ill patients' clinical problems during their inpatient stay at UMMC and work closely with emergency department physicians, primary care doctors, surgeons, and other specialists to provide efficient, quality care from admission to discharge. Because of their inpatient care expertise and presence in the hospital, hospitalists can diagnose and treat a wide range of medical conditions, anticipate issues and rapidly respond to crises or changes in a patient's condition.  We collaborate to coordinate medical treatment with other medical specialties to ensure safe transitioning of patient care while in the hospital and from the hospital to the home environment to provide the best quality care. We also provide expertise in varying procedures in the hospital for our own patients and others through UMMC’s Procedure Team.

The Division of Hospital Medicine was created in 2008 with three faculty and since that time has grown to 16 physicians and 4 nurse practitioners.  Our hospitalists have shown leadership and courage working on the front lines during the COVID pandemic and have been pivotal to the proper care of COVID patients during this time. They strive to improve patient care throughout UMMC and are involved in numerous quality improvement projects and leadership positions throughout the medical center. In addition to excellent clinical care and research, our faculty also serve as preceptors for students and residents and also serve in numerous education roles in the institution related to both undergraduate and graduate medical education. Our faculty serve on admission committees, as residency program associate directors, and clerkship directors. Additionally, several of them win teaching awards on campus each year. We are continually growing and we welcome your interest in our division!

Fred Asher, MD 
Director, Division of Hospital Medicine