Your Healthcare Team

During your stay, you may meet a number of healthcare professionals who work together to coordinate your care. We encourage you to speak up, ask questions, and let your needs and concerns be known. Here are some common healthcare professionals who will help care for you during your stay.

Physician

The physician in charge of coordinating and delivering your care is called the attending physician. This may be your primary care physician, one of our hospitalists, or another doctor assigned to you. A hospitalist is a physician who specializes in the care of hospitalized patients. You may also be seen by other medical or surgical specialists, as well as by residents, physician assistants, and advanced practice nurses. Residents are physicians who are in training programs for a particular specialty.

Nursing Team

A registered nurse (RN) is designated as your primary nurse. He or she plans and coordinates your overall plan of care along with your physician and other members of the team. The RN also assigns tasks to the patient care associates and patient care technicians (PCAs/PCTs). In each patient care unit, the staff is led by a nurse manager (a registered nurse who is responsible for supervising patient care and coordinates other registered nurses and all nursing and support staff of the unit). Nursing staff functions on a 24/7 basis; nursing supervisors during the evenings, nights and weekends/holidays have managerial oversight for the entire hospital.

Allied Health Professionals

Physical therapists, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists, speech pathologists, audiologists, and other therapists may work with you, your family, and your medical team to help meet recovery goals.

Case Coordinator and Social Worker

Case coordinators and social workers will assist you and your family with planning for your needs when you leave the hospital.

• A case coordinator is a RN who will help arrange for visiting nurse services at home, going to inpatient rehabilitation, or any necessary medical equipment. The case coordinator also reviews your case with your physician to make sure you are receiving the appropriate level of care while in the hospital.
• A social worker can address the emotional issues that come with being in a hospital, provide patient and family counseling, and connect you with services in the community.

Pharmacist

A pharmacist is responsible for reviewing each medication ordered in the hospital and making sure the dose, route, and schedule are the best possible for you. Our pharmacists work very closely with your other healthcare providers to make sure you are getting great care, and to reduce the chance of having side effects from your medication. If you would like to talk to a pharmacist about your medication, ask your nurse to contact the pharmacy. Pharmacists may also stop by to talk to you about new medications and changes in your home medications before your discharge.

Dietitian

A registered dietitian will review your medical record and work with your healthcare team to develop a nutrition care plan for you. Registered dietitians provide nutrition education and diet instruction about any diet you may need to follow after you are discharged. A nutrition assistant will help you order meals and assist with tray delivery along with the dietary worker.

Housekeeper

A housekeeper specially trained in hospital sanitation cleans your room every day. If your room needs attention at any time in between normal cleanings, call the Environmental Services Department at 201-894-3035.

Identifying Your Care Team Members

To help you easily identify the role of people on your care team, our uniforms are color-coded. Here are some of the common uniforms and colors you will see.