Hickory, NC--Timothy Blanchat, MD and Scott Sledge, MD have received the Fellow in Hospital Medicine (FHM) designation from the Society of Hospital Medicine. They are among only 514 physicians in the nation to achieve this endorsement. The FHM designation is earned by meeting the following criteria: Has been a hospitalist for five years, demonstrates dedication to quality and process improvement, illustrates commitment to organizational teamwork and leadership, and is actively engaged in lifelong learning and education.

The Society of Hospital Medicine is the premier medical society representing hospitalists. Over the past decade, studies have shown that hospitalists decrease patient lengths of stay, reduce hospital costs and readmission rates, all while increasing patient satisfaction. Hospital medicine is the fastest-growing specialty in modern health care, with over 28,000 hospitalists currently practicing.

 “We are very proud of Drs. Blanchat and Sledge,” says President & CEO J. Anthony Rose. “Our hospitalist program has proven invaluable, particularly for our patients who do not have a family physician when they arrive in our Emergency Department. Drs. Blanchat and Sledge are very talented physicians and are continually complimented by patients, their families and area primary care physicians.”

The Catawba Valley Medical Center Hospitalist Service includes seven physicians and three nurse practitioners. They partner with patients’ family physicians and are available in the hospital 24-hours a day to join the treatment team and provide a continuum of care. They remain in contact with family physicians, attend daily meetings with other hospital caregivers concerning treatment plans, make themselves available for interaction with any of the medical center’s ancillary services, such as our nursing staff, and attend to any urgent needs patients may have. Many are subspecialists in areas such as pulmonary medicine or nephrology. When patients are discharged from the hospital, the hospitalists assist in the transition of care back to the patient’s family physician.

Catawba Valley Medical Center is a not-for-profit, public healthcare system providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. CVMC, twice recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet facility, was named as a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers as well as twice awarded as a “Distinguished Hospital for An Outstanding InPatient Experience” by J.D. Power and Associates.