Hospitalist Medicine is the fastest growing medical specialty, and we do not envision a reversal of this trend in the foreseeable future.

The following forces are driving the demand for hospitalist medicine, in our estimation:

• Primary Care physicians increasingly prefer “outpatient only” practice
• Specialists dependence on hospitalists for medical “co-management”
• Specialists increasingly expect hospitalists to admit their patients
• Hospital need for extensive physician participation and compliance (EHR, Meaningful Use, Core Measures, HCAHPS, Readmission Rates, Managing Length of Stay, etc.)

The demand for hospitalists will continue to grow; as primary care physicians, specialists, and hospitals expand their levels of dependence. The primary factor limiting growth is not a reduction in demand, but the supply of hospitalists.