Implementation of an Academic OB/GYN Hospitalist Fellowship Program: A Sustainable Training Model for Labor and Delivery

Abstract

Vasiliki Tatsis and Jennifer Butler

In April 2014, an obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) hospitalist division was formed at the University of California, Irvine. A one-year hospitalist fellowship program was subsequently implemented and graduated its first fellow in June 2016. The development of both the division and fellowship were responses to the growing need for labor and delivery leadership focused on patient safety. This healthcare model and training opportunity appeals to those who are vested in maximizing outcomes of hospitalized pregnant patients while striving to achieve a personal work-life balance. Fellowship training addresses the disparity between the shortage of experienced OB/GYNs and the resident work-hour limitations that have truncated clinical volume and exposure to obstetric emergency management skills. Our fellowship program offers high-volume and high-acuity clinical exposure in academic and community hospitals, promotes learning through resident and medical student teaching, and encourages active participation in hospital committees and clinical research. Our program involves specialized training beyond residency, as opposed to a re-entry program, with the goal to train the future leaders of our emerging subspecialty. We believe that this will become the future standard of care for all hospitalized pregnant women.

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