SHM and IPC Healthcare Develop First SHM Primer for Hospitalists in Skilled Nursing Facilities

New Training Program Demonstrated at Hospital Medicine 2015

The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) announced today the release of a new educational learning program designed to help distinguish the differences between patient care in an acute care hospital and a post-acute care facility.

SHM provided a demonstration of the program at Hospital Medicine 2015 and will launch it on the SHM Learning Portal at www.shmlearningportal.org.

SHM worked with IPC Healthcare, Inc., a leading national acute hospitalist and post-acute provider organization, to develop the training program, entitled “Primer for Hospitalists on Skilled Nursing Facilities.” Consisting of 32 lessons and five sections organized in two modules, the program focuses on skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), the most common post-acute care setting. This course is SHM’s first educational initiative directed at a rapidly growing segment of work for hospitalists in the post-acute care (PAC) setting.

“Hospitalists across the country are now working in post-acute care facilities, in addition to hospitals,” said SHM’s Senior Vice President for Practice Management, Joseph Miller. “We are thrilled to provide the first-ever online resources that recognize and address the different needs of hospitalists working in this unique environment.”  

This educational program was developed as a project of the SHM Post-Acute Care Task Force, chaired by Sean Muldoon, MD. The Task Force observed the significant growth in the number of hospital medicine groups treating patients in post-acute care facilities and recognized there is a need to educate hospitalists on the differences between patient care in an acute care hospital and in a post-acute care facility.

SNFs represent a setting in which the specialist can continue to care for their patients, who are often just as ill and with the same complicated issues as patients in acute settings. However, the philosophy of care and physical environment differs between the two types of facilities. This course illustrates many of those differences and how acute care hospitalists should consider the care needs of SNF patients.

SHM worked closely with Jerome Wilborn, MD, IPC’s National Medical Director for Post-Acute Care practices, to develop the new program. By adapting and supplementing an extensive educational post-acute care program already developed by IPC Healthcare, SHM was able to bring the program quickly to fruition.

“At IPC we are passionate about the post-acute environment and the care needs for patients in the acute to post-acute continuum of care,” said Dr. Wilborn. “We are excited about the opportunity to partner with SHM on this important educational course and the knowledge that together we’ll be helping other physicians provide better care for their post-acute patients is tremendously satisfying.”

About IPC Healthcare, Inc.

IPC Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: IPCM) is a leading national acute hospitalist and post-acute provider group practice company. IPC Healthcare’s affiliated physicians and other clinical providers practice in over 400 hospitals and 1,500 post-acute care facilities. The Company offers it’s more than 1,800 employed clinicians comprehensive training, information technology, and management support systems to improve the quality and reduce the cost of patient care in the facilities it serves. For more information, visit the IPC Healthcare website at www.ipchealthcare.com.