Hospitalist Program

During the fall of 2003, Samaritan Medical Center started a Hospitalist Service to better meet the needs of the community. The goal of the Hospitalist Service is to deliver quality efficient medical care, to communicate clearly with patients, their families, and their Primary Care Physicians. The Hospitalist Service focuses strictly on your care while you are in the hospital. This in turn makes your Primary Care Physician more available to you in the office, rather than splitting time between the office and the hospital.

FAQS about Samaritan's Hospitalist Program

What is a Hospitalist?

A Hospitalist is a physician specially trained in Internal Medicine who focuses on caring for special needs of patients in the hospital. Hospitalists are focused on patients with numerous complex medical problems that require acute inpatient care. Because they concentrate on just the hospital, they are able to devote all their efforts in the care of these acutely ill patients.

Why is a Hospitalist seeing me?

Your Primary Care Physician may have formed a partnership with the Hospitalists to better serve your medical needs, or you may not have yet chosen a Primary Care Physician.

Will I still see my own Physician?

Your Primary Care Physician will continue to care for you outside the hospital. The Hospitalists will consult with and communicate with your Primary Care Physician to better care for your overall needs. The Hospitalists are, in essence, your Physician’s Partners here in the hospital.

How should my Family and I communicate with the Hospitalist?

The Hospitalists are focused on providing you with as much information as possible about the care that you are receiving. They are your partners in your care as much as your Primary Care Physician. If you have any questions please ask.

What happens to me after discharge?

You will go back to your Primary Care Physician. If you have not yet selected a Primary Care Physician, the Hospitalist Service will be glad to refer you to a physician in the community. Your Hospitalist will communicate with your Primary Care Physician to keep them up-to-date about your hospital stay.

Who will give me prescriptions for the new medications started in the hospital?

The Hospitalist will arrange for any prescriptions for any new medications.

I’ve left the hospital, and I have a problem.
Who do I call?

The Hospitalist is responsible for your care while you are in the hospital. Once you have been discharged, please call your Primary Care Physician.

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Who are the Samaritan Hospitalists?

Kuo Hau Chang, DO is the director of the Hospitalist Program. He received his medical degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth, Texas. His internship and residency training in Internal Medicine were completed at Wilson Memorial Medical Center, United Health Services Hospitals, Johnson City, New York. Dr. Chang is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine. He has been a practicing hospitalist since June 2001.

Nathalie N. Bousader-Armstrong, MD completed her medical degree at Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia where she also completed a Masters in Public Health. She completed her internship at North Shore University Hospital, Manhassett, NY and returned to Morehouse School of Medicine to complete her internal medicine/preventive medicine residency training.

Aamir Pasha, MD received his medical degree from the Dow Medical College, Karachi, Pakistan. He completed his internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at Wilson Memorial Medical Center, United Health Services Hospitals, Johnson City, New York. Dr. Pasha has been a practicing internist since 1998. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Claudio Reader, MD is board-certified in Internal Medicine and received his medical degree from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He completed both his internship and internal medicine residency at McGill University, Montreal, Canada. Dr. Reader also completed one year of fellowship training in Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN. Prior to joining Samaritan, Dr. Reader was a Hospitalist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, Bennington, VT.

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