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For more information
or to contact us,
call 651-241-8451.

United Hospitalist Service consists of board-certified physicians based at United Hospital.

Also known as hospitalists, our physicians work in partnership with the patient's primary physician to provide the hospitalized patient with an added level of continuous care.

As hospitalists, our physicians respond to an increasing need for inpatient consultations to specialists and surgeons. Referring physicians appreciate the increased level of contact with the patient's family and patients benefit from the additional care.

Meet our hospitalists

Frequently asked questions

What is the Allina Medical Clinic – United Hospitalist Service?

Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service are internal medicine and pediatric physicians who provide care to hospitalized patients at United Hospital. We provide in-hospital care, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. More commonly known as "hospitalists," we are highly experienced in the diagnosis, treatment and coordination of care of hospitalized patient. Think of us as your primary care doctor while you are hospitalized.

Why am I being treated by a doctor other than my personal physician?

Your personal physician referred you to Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service because we are skilled internal medicine specialists whose primary focus is on the care of the hospitalized patient.

Your Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service doctor will direct your care, answer your questions, and coordinate your discharge plans. He or she will stay in contact with your personal physician during your stay.

If your personal physician is located in a town outside the metro area, he or she may have referred you to Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service because of the need to be seen by a doctor each day in the hospital. Your personal physician's schedule and the distance he or she would have to travel may make it difficult for your physician to be at United Hospital on a daily basis. Because our doctors are in the hospital or on-call, they can respond quickly to your medical needs during your stay. They also can arrange for a wide variety of specialists to consult on your care if that becomes necessary.

Will I see more than one doctor while I'm at United Hospital?

In most cases, you will be cared for by the same Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service physician. You may have more than one Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service physician if you have a prolonged hospital stay. Our electronic medical record system will ensure that all relevant information regarding your care will be conveyed to your physician(s).

What will my personal physician know about my hospital stay?

During your hospital stay, your Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service physician will contact your personal physician to obtain additional medical history and discuss treatment plans, if necessary. Upon discharge, a letter detailing your hospital stay, test results and follow-up instructions will be sent to your hometown clinic physician.

Which doctor will I see after I am discharged from the hospital?

When you are discharged from the hospital, your outpatient physician will resume responsibility for your care. Depending on your outpatient medical needs, you may also be under the care of other specialist physicians.

Does care by an Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service doctor add to my hospital or doctor bill?

Your bill from Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service doctor will be similar to what your clinic physician would have charged. With each inpatient hospital stay, there are several bills generated:

• one from the hospital
• one from Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service
• another from specialty physicians who performed consultations or diagnostic tests.

Does my health insurance cover hospitalist care?

Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service doctors participate in almost all insurance plans. If you are concerned about insurance, please contact your health care plan.

A physician-referral inpatient care service

Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service is a group composed of internal medicine and pediatric physicians that provide in-hospital care to patients who are referred to us primarily from hospitals and clinics within the Twin Cities metro area, as well as in greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin. An United Hospitalist Service physician is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The United Hospitalist Service provides personal, well-coordinated, quality care to a variety of patients who present with a single problem or with multiple complex medical problems.

About the hospitalists

Our physicians are board-certified with specialized clinical skills specific to the hospitalized patient and are comfortable in the tertiary care setting. They may serve as a patient's primary attending or as a medical consultant. Regardless, they visit patients daily and are available for patient and family consultation when necessary.

Meet our hospitalists

Timely communication

Allina referring physicians are able to follow their patient's hospital course in the electronic medical record by reviewing daily hospitalist progress notes. They receive telephone communication at the time of discharge and at any critical points that pertain to treatment planning and/or specialty consultations. Discharge summaries are completed the day of discharge.

Effective discharge planning

Case management teams evaluate all patients admitted to the service. They work together with the referring hospitalist physician, specialists involved with the case, and the patient's loved ones to develop an effective care/discharge plan. They also assist in coordinating the services needed after the patient returns to their home community.

Services we provide

• Preoperative & postoperative medical consultation
• Critical care co-management in cardiac, neurosurgical, surgical, and medical intensive care units
• Care of all patients without a primary care physician admitted through the emergency department
• Care of all patients with a primary care physician without United Hospital privileges admitted through the emergency department
• Direct admission of patients from regional outpatient clinics
• Direct admission of patients transferred from referring hospitals in and around Minnesota
• Medical coverage of the United Hospital overnight observation unit (CDART)
• Champion hospital-wide quality/safety initiatives

Contact us

The following is the stepwise process that works best for direct admissions and transfers to the United Hospitalist Service.

For regional outpatient Allina medical clinics

1. Identify the patient that requires direct admission (vs. patients that would benefit from more timely evaluation through the Emergency Department)
2. Clinic staff should call the Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service answering service at 651-xxx-xxxx and provide the following information: patient name, date of birth, primary clinic physician and medical information.
3. Either our nurse care coordinator of the Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service service or our chief physician of the day will subsequently receive the patient information from the answering service and forward it on to the physician who will be admitting the patient.
4. The hospitalist will then call the clinic in order to speak with the clinic physician about the patient's condition.
5. Clinic staff should then call patient placement at 651-xxx-xxxx to provide patient information, type of hospital bed required, and the name of the Allina Medical Clinic - United Hospitalist Service physician who will admit the patient.

For referring hospitals and non-Allina medical clinics

Call Physician to Physician (P to P) at 651-241-8451 to speak directly with our chief hospitalist physician of the day. The P to P service will assist in making all of the arrangements for the patient's transfer.