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Welcome to my homepage
My name is Dr. Clay Angel and thanks for visiting me on the web. I have been with Kaiser Permanente since 2006, shortly after completing my Internal Medicine residency in Chicago, IL. I am board certified in Internal Medicine and a member of the American College of Physicians.
Throughout my training and medical career, I found that I have always enjoyed being in the hospital itself and emergency department surroundings quite a bit more than the outpatient setting. I do not know where or when I figured it out but as soon as I became aware of the term "hospitalist" I knew that this was the career for me. A hospitalist, or HBS as Kaiser terms it, is an internal medicine physician that specializes in in-hospital care only. I have the ability to provide personalized, detailed care in an environment that allows me to be very accessible and responsive to the ever-changing dynamic of the hospital setting.
One of my favorite phrases remains, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Part of the reason I joined Kaiser was because of the effort and time that the organization has put toward this philosophy. If we can help each other remember that every positive step towards improving our health (from one vegetable serving a day to a dedicated exercise regimen) is a building block that leads to enhanced well-being, better quality and reduced stress in every part of our lives. No matter what our age, each of us can always take steps to improve our health and our overall quality of life.
When my patients see me, they are dealing with multiple stressors and often with the fear and anxiety, which comes with being in the hospital, an unfamiliar environment to most. It is my goal and belief that good communication and clear explanations of ones illness improve outcomes and well being for each person. My staff and I also make an extra effort to explain what it means to be in the hospital and how things work in this setting - from the scheduled tests for the day to what you can expect when you are in our care for a specific illness.
Over the past several years, we have continued to refine and improve how we as healthcare providers communicate with each other the important and dynamic details of a patients care plan. Every morning, we conduct “rounds” in which myself and a patient care coordinator talk to each nurse, face to face, who is caring for our patient. This allows for real-time adjustment of a patients care plan and for addressing issues right away that can make a big difference in comfort and peace of mind. When we find ourselves or a loved one in the role of patient, we should all remember to ask the following questions of our providers:
- What is my main problem?
- What do I need to do?
- Why is it important for me to do this?
I also feel it is very important to designate a primary spokesperson when we are sick and in the hospital, someone who can help clearly communicate back to our friends and family and let them know what is happening during the hospitalization. This also allows the physician to be able to easily and clearly discuss progress and keep everyone up-to-date.
In my role as a hospital physician, I am always happy to meet with my patients and their family to clearly explain what is happening – early afternoons are the best time for this as I am able to use the mornings to gather information and interpret results prior to our meeting.
Another major shift from my previous practice is the ability to utilize electronic medical records and automated discharge and medication prescription systems. I believe these systems drastically reduce human error and allow for much more efficient patient care. Our hospital here in San Rafael is one of approximately 100 hospitals in the United States that uses a fully integrated electronic medical records system. I am very proud of this fact, given that there are over 6,400 hospitals in the country.
On a more personal note, I was born in the Mid-West. My parents (and myself) initially thought I would end up staying in the same area of Southern Indiana, as the rest of our family has done, for generations. I think they realized early on that I was not going to “stay put” for long. I have always loved to travel and have since developed a love for international medicine in general. In the process, I have lived in England, South Africa and the Caribbean during my medical education to experience the health-care systems and practices of other countries. I feel this has had an invaluable positive influence not only on who I am but how I practice medicine.
In closing, thank you for your interest and taking the time to learn more about me and the Department of Hospital Based Specialists (HBS). I highly recommend that you visit the preventative medicine and educational links at the left to continue to educate yourself and your family on the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle. There is also some great information if you click Healthy Living I have also recently became a fan of the Caring Bridge network which focuses on connecting and updating extended friends and family on a loved ones medical progress.
My Credentials
| American University of Caribbean - School of Medicine, St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles |
| West Suburban Hospital Medical Center, Oak Park, IL |
| West Suburban Hospital Medical Center, Oak Park, IL |
| Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine |
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