75 North Country Road, Port Jefferson, NY 11777 • 631.473.1320

Physicians Partner to Provide Optimal Patient Care

“From the first meeting with the hospitalist I knew I was in good hands…Mather Hospital provided me with superior care.”
– Patient Testimonial

John T. Mather Memorial Hospital launched its hospitalist program in mid-2005 under the leadership of Dr. Thomas Overholt. All physicians in the Hospitalist Program are Board Certified/Eligible Internists.

Hospitalists do not have outpatient offices. They are in the hospital all day and can answer questions, review test results and make decisions about your care in a more timely fashion than under the usual system.

Think of your usual primary care physician. If one of his/her patients needs hospitalization, he/she must split her attention to focus on both you (sitting in his/her office waiting for your yearly physical) and another patient who may be in critical condition in the hospital’s Emergency Room.

Hospitalists change this picture by partnering with your physician to act in conjunction with him/her to care for you in the hospital. The hospitalist communicates directly and often with your physician to know your personal medical history and medications and any other special information.

“Continuity of care is the primary advantage we offer to our hospitalized patients,” Dr. Overholt said. “We work as a team of clinical partners with the patient’s personal physicians to ensure timely delivery of care across all disciplines.”

Hospitalist programs focus on avoiding “coverage” situations, where your own doctor signs out to a physician who may know very little about your individual problems. Instead, hospitalists are all on one team and share information within the team and with your own physician.

A Hospitalist admits patients, makes daily rounds, directs and coordinates all patient care and arranges for hospital discharge and any after-hospital care that is required.

Mather Hospital President Kenneth Roberts has been pleased with the progress of the hospitalist program. “This is a relatively new concept,” he said. “We have undertaken the hospitalist model with the highest commitment to preserving the uniqueness of the primary care physician-patient relationship and a dedication to providing state-of-the-art, high quality hospital care. We believe we are achieving this goal and continue to strive for improvements in communication and coordination of care.”

For more information, please call (631) 476-2888

Back to main services page...