Wayne Memorial's newest doctors are strictly inhouse

Honesdale - Wayne Memorial Hospital’s medical staff newest physicians, are three hospitalists or “in-patient physicians.” All three are internal medicine physicians. As of Jan. 1, they began caring for adult patients whose primary care doctors refer them for admission to Wayne Memorial Hospital. “As a hospitalist, I can be available to acute care patients all day,” says Louis O’Boyle, D.O., one of the internal medicine doctors now coming on board as a hospitalist. O’Boyle, who is board-certified in internal medicine, practiced hospitalist medicine in Hershey and Scranton. When he begins work as a hospitalist, Dr. O’Boyle won’t have to split his time between an office and the hospital. “I’m most comfortable with the challenge of taking care of patients who are acutely ill,” O’Boyle explained. The other two hospitalists are Everton Clare, MD, and Joseph Biancarelli, MD. All three will work for Wayne Memorial, but are contracted through INCARE, a physician group that provides similar services to at least five other hospitals. “Our hospitalists are not going to change. Doctors O’Boyle, Clare and Biancarelli will be here full-time,” said David Hoff, chief executive officer of Wayne Memorial Hospital. He believes the hospitalists will initially care for at least half of the 2,000-plus patients admitted each year. Hoff anticipates eventually having four hospitalists at Wayne Memorial. “Our hospitalist program is here for our patients and our doctors, but a doctor can choose not to use it. He or she can continue to admit and see patients in our hospital and not utilize the hospitalist program,” Hoff notes. Wayne Memorial’s Chief of Staff, George Tietjen, M.D., expects the hospitalist program will be “highly successful and beneficial to both the private physicians and their patients requiring hospital care.” Dr. Tietjen also believes that communication will be key to the program’s success. “Of utmost importance will be constant communication between the hospitalists and office based physicians to ensure optimal ongoing outpatient care.” Dr. Bradley Layton, President of the hospital medical staff, added, “During this time of physician shortage in Pennsylvania and in other areas of our country, the Hospital, in order to better support some of its local doctors, is embarking on a hospitalist program. I personally think this will go a long way toward helping some doctors better meet the needs of their patients and see their patients in a more timely manner in their offices.” Hoff expects the hospitalist program will help the hospital recruit and retain physicians. “Younger doctors today, coming out of medical residency training, would prefer either to be hospital-focused or office-based. Now, we can offer them both options.” Other hospitals with hospitalists include Moses Taylor, Geisinger Wyoming Valley and Lehigh Valley. For more information about hospitalists, visit the Web site of the Society of Hospital Medicine at http://www.hospitalmedicine.org