Navigating the Clinical Component
Practicing Comprehensive Medicine in a High-Quality, Lower-Volume Environment
As you move through your day at St. John's Health, you'll experience the satisfaction of practicing comprehensive hospital medicine in an environment that allows you to truly know your patients. With a manageable average census of approximately 13 patients daily (ranging from 3–22), you'll have the time to deliver thoughtful, thorough care that metropolitan hospitalists often dream of. This balanced volume creates the perfect blend of clinical challenge and quality care, allowing you to focus on excellence rather than racing from patient to patient.
Your day begins in the crisp mountain air as you arrive for morning rounds. The medical-surgical floor and ICU become your domain as you evaluate patients with conditions ranging from altitude sickness in tourists to complex chronic disease management in local residents. Unlike larger systems where specialties are siloed, here you'll function as a true general internist – managing ventilators and drips in the ICU while simultaneously addressing medical-surgical concerns, creating a practice that keeps your clinical skills sharp across the spectrum of hospital medicine.
- Diverse patient population that fluctuates seasonally, with peaks during summer tourism (June–August) and ski season (December–February), creating a fascinating mix of both community-based and visitor care
- Higher census expectations during peak seasons with approximately 15–20 patients, 5–6 discharges, and 5–6 admissions per 24-hour period, balanced by quieter periods during shoulder seasons
- Dual responsibility for both medical-surgical and ICU patients, functioning as an intensivist and coordinating co-management of surgical patients with specialty input as appropriate
- Complete hospital coverage with 6 ICU beds and a 25-bed Progressive Care Unit (with ability to flex to 28 total beds), allowing you to have a global perspective on hospital operations
- Comprehensive clinical scope including management of ventilators, drips, and participation in codes when needed, with anesthesia support for most procedures like central lines, intubations, and arterial lines
- Telemedicine specialty support for infectious disease, neurology, and psychiatry consultations, giving you access to expertise when needed while maintaining your autonomy
- Broad consultative expectations as you'll provide subspecialty advice in areas where the hospital lacks permanent specialists (nephrology, hepatology, rheumatology), keeping your knowledge base broad and engaging
- Electronic medical record system that supports efficient documentation and communication, streamlining your workflow and allowing more time for direct patient care
The rhythm of practice at St. John's offers a refreshing alternative to the production-line feel of many larger institutions. During your shifts, you'll find the space to think critically, consult thoughtfully, and connect meaningfully with both patients and staff – recapturing the joy of medicine that may have become obscured in higher-volume environments. Each patient encounter becomes an opportunity to practice medicine thoroughly rather than merely moving patients through the system.