Word of the Day

: February 17, 2007

hospitalist

noun HOSS-pih-tuh-list

What It Means

: a physician who specializes in treating hospitalized patients of other physicians in order to minimize the number of hospital visits by other physicians

hospitalist in Context

Naomi worried that as a hospitalist she would have to work harder to achieve personalized relationships with her patients.

Did You Know?

"Hospitalist" refers to what is rapidly becoming a new specialty in medicine, perhaps due in part to the rise of organized health care. These days, the care that you receive during a hospital stay may be coordinated and monitored by a doctor who is not your regular doctor or the referring physician. The word "hospitalist" itself first appeared in print in 1996 and derives, of course, from "hospital," which in turn can be traced back to the Medieval Latin "hospitale," meaning "hospice" or "guest house."