Hospital Medicine Track

The Saint Louis University Internal Medicine Residency Program’s mission is to train great internists in a positive environment while maintaining focus on 1) collaborative care, and 2) keeping the patient as the center of daily work.

The hospital medicine track strives to provide additional exposure for senior IM residents with specific focus on how hospitalists can utilize their roles as educators, healers, and researchers to maintain high-functioning multidisciplinary teams that prioritize the patient as the focus of the process.

Graduates of the Saint Louis University Hospital Medicine Residency Track will practice exceptional evidence-based medicine; they will be recognized as effective teachers in the hospital; they will be adept at identifying problems and developing solutions to improve healthcare systems; and they will use those skills to improve the health of their communities.

Most of all, our graduates will be recognized locally and nationally for their ability to develop healthcare teams that improve the care of the patient in front of them as well as the patients they have yet to see. The program is ideal for residents interested in pursuing a career in academic internal medicine, hospital medicine leadership, and/or quality improvement. 

Applications will be accepted for the 2021-2022 academic year in May 2021. Applicants must be in their second year of residency at the time of application. They will be asked to submit a CV, along with a brief (350-500 word) letter of intent that outlines their interest in hospital medicine and describes what they hope to gain from the experience. 

For more information on the hospital medicine track, please reach out to Dr. Keniesha Thompson at keniesha.thompson@health.slu.edu or Dr. Justin Purdy at justin.purdy@health.slu.edu. 

Participants in the hospital medicine track will engage in the following experiences:

• Monthly lectures by core faculty that cover a range of topics in four categories
  - Clinical practice
  - Quality improvement
  - Economics of healthcare
  - Career and scholarship
• Quarterly journal clubs to highlight topics within each of the four categories
• Development and implementation of a year-long quality improvement project
• Completion of a month-long capstone rotation as an independent provider on the Traditional
• Medicine Service (non-teaching service)

The hospital medicine track employs a variety of teaching methods, including:

• Small group instruction with active learner participation
• Resident-directed QI project with group members
• One-on-one instruction with faculty during the HIM capstone rotation
• Clinical coaching with mentors

 

Pillar #1: Clinical Practice

• Demonstrate a variety of teaching methods proven to be effective for adult learners 
• Work to employ evidence-based practices into medical decision making 
• Explore the roles of advanced practice providers in hospital medicine

Pillar #2: Quality Improvement

• Identify drivers for quality improvement in the hospital 
• Recognize the value of a multidisciplinary approach to developing a sustainable quality improvement initiative
• Demonstrate a commitment to safety culture

Pillar #3: Economics and Value-Based Learning

• Introduction to healthcare finance and reimbursement 
• Discuss health insurance structure including Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance
• Develop techniques for proper documentation and appropriate billing and coding
• Gain exposure to accreditation and performance management programs, including introduction to HEDIS, CAHPS and URAC

Pillar #4: Career and Scholarship

• Demonstrate how to prepare effective abstracts and poster presentations 
• Provide instruction on how to create a CV and cover letter
• Discuss key leadership skills such as engaging stakeholders, change management and negotiation. 

• Dana Culver, D.O.
• Joseph Cumming, M.D.
• Manuel Brockman, M.D.