Benefits of a Teaching Hospital
What is a Teaching Hospital?
Teaching hospitals are responsible for training the next generation of health care providers and are the frontrunners in medical research and technology while delivering the highest possible level of effective and safe patient care. As a teaching hospital, Sovah Health stays up-to-date with the latest medical developments and most advanced health care technology.
For physicians, Graduate Medical Education, or Residency, is the next step in training for physicians who have successfully completed medical school. Board certified attending physicians provide supervise and train the medical school graduates at teaching hospitals.
About Sovah Health's Program:
Beginning in 2010, Sovah Health (formerly Danville Regional Medical Center) became a teaching hospital, or academic community hospital, to train medical students and physician residents specializing in family and internal medicine. Based on rigorous onsite assessments, the program has received institutional and program accreditation by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Resident physicians and medical students live in Danville and rotate through local physician practices and Sovah Health. Each resident receives nearly 9,000 hours of training during their three-year residency. During a year’s time, the residents participate in the care of over 100,000 patients across the region and contribute approximately $1.5 million to the local economy.
Residents play a valuable role on your health care team.
Upon your arrival and under the guidance of your physician, your resident will review the history of your current illness and past medical history. A physical examination will be performed to substantiate previous findings and evaluate changes. Some of the questions and procedures may seem repetitive, particularly given the anxiety that comes from being hospitalized. Be assured that the resident is acting in your best interest as an essential member of your health care team.
Your resident will be in close touch with your physician to provide updates on your condition. Frequently, this new information on your progress will speed your recovery. While the resident may not be able to answer all of your questions immediately, he or she will respond as soon as possible. Please remember that laboratory test results and consultations must be evaluated by your attending physician, who has the ultimate responsibility for your care.
Below is a list of some of the health care professionals you may meet during at stay at Sovah Health – Danville:
Attending physician: A board certified doctor who has been educated, trained and licensed to practice the art and science of medicine, and who is responsible for the care of patients. Attending physicians supervise all patient care performed by residents.
Resident physician: A physician serving in the hospital as part of his/her graduate medical education. Resident physicians receive supervised clinical training under the direction of an attending physician.
Chief Resident physician: A physician in the final year of a residency program or in the year after the residency has finished. Chief resident physicians play an important role in guiding new residents.
Hospitalists: Licensed attending physicians who spend most of their time caring for inpatients in the hospital. Hospitalists take over the care of outpatient physicians patients and return them to the care of their primary care providers upon discharge.
Nurse Practitioner: A registered nurse with at least a master’s degree in nursing and advanced education in the primary care of a particular group of patients.
Registered Nurse (R.N.): A nurse who has graduated from an accredited nursing program and has been registered and licensed to practice by the state.
Licensed Practical Nurse (L.P.N.): A nurse who has graduated from a school of practical (vocational) nursing and is licensed to practice by the state.
Physicians’ Assistant: A health care professional who is certified by the National Commission on Certification of PA’s in conjunction with the National Board of Medical Examiners. Physicians’ Assistants are licensed to practice certain aspects of medicine care (history taking, physical examination and diagnosis, the treatment of common medical problems) under the supervision of a licensed physician.
Health Care Team: The Medical Center has a variety of allied health care professionals working in a variety of fields. These specialists are trained in areas such as drawing blood, using diagnostic scans, performing laboratory testing and regulating dietary needs.
Students in Health Care Fields: The Medical Center provides a setting for the education of a variety of students who are being trained in a health care field including medical students and those in nursing, pharmacy, and physician assistant programs. These students, under the supervision of the attending physicians, continue their medical education by observing clinical care.
School of Health Professions: The Sovah School of Health Professions currently offers AAS Degree Programs in Radiologic Technology, General Sonography, and Cardiovascular Sonography. For more information visit our website here.