About the Role
We are seeking a dedicated Veterinary Hospitalist to join our growing emergency and specialty hospital. This role focuses on inpatient case management, while also supporting the Emergency Service with incoming cases as needed.
This position is ideal for a veterinarian who thrives and excels at inpatient management, values continuity of care and practices current, up to date evidence-based medicine.
Our hospitalist team works closely with emergency clinicians, our critical care specialist, other specialists, technicians, and client liaisons to deliver exceptional, efficient, and compassionate care.
Position Overview
The Hospitalist is responsible for the medical management of all hospitalized patients during their shift, including those admitted by ER doctors or transferred from other hospitals. This role emphasizes:
● Comprehensive, and often serial, patient assessments
● Thorough and accurate medical record-keeping
● Clear and proactive client communication
● Efficient case flow and continuity
● Follows hospital protocols and practices highest standards of care
This position is available for daytime or overnight 12 hour shifts. This schedule follows a consistent two-week rotation, with three shifts worked one week and two shifts the following week, average five shifts over a two-week period.
Core Responsibilities
1. Inpatient Care Management
● Oversee and care for all hospitalized patients during the shift, including new admissions and transfers.
● Manage ICU-level patients requiring advanced monitoring or life-support interventions.
● Conducting patient rounds with oncoming hospitalist as well as swing doctors admitting patients, ensuring smooth transitions.
● Perform ongoing assessments, adjust treatment plans, and respond to changes in patient status.
● Review digital ICU treatment sheets and adjust plans as needed.
● Develop, implement, and update individualized medical plans.
● Order and interpret diagnostics, including laboratory work, imaging, and point-of-care testing.
● Perform or delegate procedures, bloodwork, and diagnostics whenever feasible during the shift.
● Maintain daily thorough medical records through our digital EMR, Instinct
2. Client Communication & Support
● Serve as the primary point of contact for owners of hospitalized patients.
● Communicate diagnoses, treatment plans, prognoses, and financial updates with clarity as needed.
● Coordinate with referring veterinarians as needed.
● Maintain continuity of communication throughout the patient’s hospitalization.
3. Emergency Support
● Participate in triage and prioritization of critical patients.
● Intake and manage of critical or unstable outpatient cases requiring immediate attention when appropriate.
● Perform or oversee emergency procedures, including various venous access placement, stabilization, and oxygen therapy.
● Provide post-surgical monitoring and management of complications.
● Maintain readiness to respond rapidly to changes in patient conditions on the inpatient and outpatient floors.
4. Surgical Case Management
● Evaluate hospitalized patients who develop conditions requiring surgical intervention and determine the appropriate timing and level of surgical care.
● When an emergency surgical procedure is indicated, the Hospitalist will generally ge given the first opportunity to assume responsibility for the surgical case, when appropriate based on their experience, availability, and current caseload.
● This approach is interned to promote continuity of care by allowing the veterinarian already managing the patient to remain involved in the case from diagnosis and stabilization through surgery and postoperative management.
● Perform emergency surgical procedures within the Hospitalist’s training, experience, and comfort level, when appropriate.
● Coordinate with ER clinicians, specialists and other members of the medical team when additional expertise or surgical support is indicated.
● Surgical cases may be transferred to another appropriately qualified veterinarian, or another facility with a board certified surgeon if deemed necessary by the Hospitalist.
● Communicate surgical recommendations, risks, prognosis, and treatment plans with the client and medical team.
5. Discharge Planning
● Proactively identify anticipated discharges and begin discharge planning in advance.
● Coordinate with the inpatient team to facilitate timely and efficient discharge of hospitalized patients.
● Ensure clients receive clear discharge instructions and understand medications, monitoring, recheck recommendations, and indications for reassessment.
6. Additional Responsibilities if time allows
● When inpatient caseload allows, triage urgent or stable cases and determine whether they can safely wait for the Emergency clinician.
● See stable urgent-care cases when appropriate and when inpatient responsibilities are adequately covered.
● Work closely with inpatient technicians to facilitate training, development of advanced technical skills, and high-quality patient care.
● Participate in development and refinement of inpatient and critical care protocols.
Qualifications
● DVM or VMD degree from an accredited institution.
● Internship trained and/or 5+ years of experience in emergency, critical care, and specialty practice required.
● Strong interest in inpatient medicine, critical care, and continuity of care.
● Excellent record-keeping, communication and client-service skills.
● Ability to multitask and remain composed in a fast-paced environment.
● Commitment to collaboration and a team-first mindset.
● Comfort with independent decision-making and high-acuity case management.
● Excellent clinical judgment in critical care settings.
Reporting
● Reports to the Medical Director and/or Chief Medical Officer.
● Collaborates closely with ER and ICU leadership.