By Katarina A. Lewczyk
Since the summer of 2020, the Divisions of Hematology-Oncology and Hospital Medicine have engaged in an innovative collaboration which benefits patients, faculty, and residents at UMass Chan. Richard Forster, MD, executive vice chair, chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine and associate professor of medicine; Kimberly Eisenstock, MD, clinical chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine and assistant professor of medicine; and Jonathan Gerber, MD, the Eleanor Eustis Farrington Chair in Cancer Research, chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology (Hem-Onc) and professor of medicine, collaborated to create a care model where hospitalists work alongside specialists in Hem-Onc. This initiative was conceptualized when Hem-Onc was struggling to maintain the balance of inpatient and outpatient services.
As a result, hospitalists, supervising medical residents, oversee the general medical needs of oncology patients and the oncologists collaborate in a consultative role. This arrangement frees up oncologists to see patients in their ambulatory clinics. The transition to a collaborative model has been successful and well-received, especially from a resident and faculty standpoint. “I [have] enjoyed being on [the] service,” remarked Dr. Forster. “I liked learning more about advancing cancer care and enjoyed my interactions with the Oncology faculty and fellows."
The COVID-19 pandemic presented some challenges when, during the surges, Hospitalists assigned to the Hem-Onc service had to re-deploy back to general Hospital Medicine services. This required the Hem-Onc faculty to reassume the total care of the oncology inpatients. During such challenging times, the flexible nature of this collaboration made it an overall success and a positive experience for both Hem-Onc and Hospital Medicine.
Collaborations like these strengthen our clinical care services. This creative solution where resources were redistributed and utilized in new ways, was ultimately beneficial to all involved. With that in mind, collaborative efforts with other divisions are continuing to emerge within our department. In addition to their work with Hem-Onc, our hospitalists have also started working with Gastroenterology residents to help manage patients and free up time for GI physicians.