Kirsten Kaisner-Duncan, M.D. Wishard Hospital Chief of Medicine

Our Hospitalist Program, led by Dr. Kirsten Kaisner-Duncan, Chief of Medicine at Wishard Hospital and IUMG-Primary Care Director for Inpatient Services, has been growing by leaps and bounds and has emerged as a true force in clinical service delivery and medical education. Sixteen hospitalist faculty attend on the medicine services at Wishard Hospital, covering busy non-teaching and teaching services. Division member and RI scientist, Dr. Lisa Harris, is CEO and Medical Director of Wishard Memorial Hospital which has been recognized for its excellence by the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems.

In February 2007, Wishard Team A became the newest site for fourth year students’ sub-internship rotations. Innovations to maximize continuity of care, improve patient safety, improve patient/house staff/faculty satisfaction, and assist with more efficient throughput have included moving to a 2-week inpatient staffing model and creating a Hospitalist Outpatient Practice clinic to assist patient transition from inpatient to outpatient environment.

The IUMG-PC hospitalists provide the bulk of inpatient teaching to Indiana University School of Medicine trainees on the General Medicine Service. The attending hospitalist, resident physician, intern, medical students, pharmacy students, Case Managers, Social Workers and nursing staff work together as a team to deliver outstanding medical treatment as well as provide the patient and family with as much information as possible about the care they are receiving. This information is then communicated to the patient's primary care physician.