Welcome to the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center at Redwood City.

While in the hospital you will be cared for by members of the Hospital Based Specialist (HBS) Team. Our team consists of board certified physicians (known as “hospitalists”) who specialize in the care of patients with medical problems requiring hospitalization. Because we offer coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, it is likely that you will meet more than one of us during your stay.

We will be the group of doctors coordinating your care during your hospitalization. We work collaboratively with your personal provider, subspecialists and other professionals including nurses, pharmacists, physical therapist, social workers, and case managers. We will communicate with your primary care provider about your stay and arrange for follow-up care when you are ready to be discharged. If you do not yet have a primary care provider, we will help you select one who will best meet your needs.

We are all committed to providing excellent patient care. If you have any questions about your care, please ask your nurse to call us.

Thank you for letting us care for you.

The Hospital Based Specialist Team

What are the visiting hours?

Visiting hours are from 10 AM to 8PM.

What is a Hospital Based Specialist (HBS physician)?

A HBS physician, often referred to as a hospitalist, is a specialist in the field of internal medicine who cares only for hospitalized patients. We have no patient care responsibilities outside of the hospital which enables us to focus exclusively on you and your illness while you are in the hospital.

Why isn’t my doctor seeing me in the hospital?

The increasing complexities of modern medicine do not allow any single physician to have expert knowledge in all areas. If you are hospitalized your illness is likely to be very serious. As hospitalists, we are skilled in the latest diagnostics and treatments for those illness that necessitate hospital care. Since one of us is in the hospital at all times, we are able to respond immediately to any change in your condition.

How do I contact the doctor if I want to meet with him/her?

Let the nurse know that you have a question and the doctor directly responsible for your care will be notified. We reserve the morning hours for seeing each of our patients. We will update you on your condition at that time, but generally allot time in the afternoon to meet with patients and families if a longer discussion is necessary. We have often found it useful for families to designate a person whom we should contact for any updates or changes in a patient’s condition.

How will my primary care provider know what happened to me while I was in the hospital?

We will arrange for a complete summary of your hospitalization to be made available to your primary care provider after you are discharged from the hospital.

What is a Patient Care Coordinator (PCC)?

Patient Care Coordinators are here to help you navigate through the complex maze of modern health care. They will help you transition from the hospital back home or to an intermediate level of care once you are ready to be discharged from the hospital.

What is an Advance Directive?

An advance directive is a written document that informs us of your wishes if you are unable to speak for yourself. Because patients admitted to the hospital are often very ill, advance directives can be very helpful to both doctors and families in guiding treatment. Our goal is to provide medical care consistent with each patient’s individual wishes.

Disclaimer
If you think you have a MEDICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or go to the nearest hospital. DO NOT attempt to access emergency care through this web site. An emergency medical condition is a medical or psychiatric condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in any of the following: serious jeopardy to your health, serious impairment to your bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part. An emergency medical condition is also "active labor," which means a labor when there is inadequate time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery or if a transfer poses a threat to the health of the member or unborn child.

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