Editor's Note: Every year, Rhode Island Monthly releases its Top Docs issue. These are doctors in a variety of specialties who are named tops in their field by their peers.
His name is Dr. John Gelzhiser, and he's one of more than 20 hospitalists at Kent Hospital.
"Not many people really understand what we do," Gelzhiser said.
Simply put, hospitalists are the primary care doctors of the hospital.
"I like primary care, but I didn't really like working in the office," Gelzhiser said.
So now, the hospital is his office.
"When somebody comes into the hospital, we take over for the patient's primary care doctor. We send them a letter about what happened when they first came in. We coordinate their care with the primary care doctors and the subspecialists," Gelzhiser said.
Apparently, Gelzhiser does a pretty good job because he's been voted by his peers as one of the top hospitalists in Rhode Island.
"It feels pretty good," Gelzhiser said.
His boss said it's much deserved.
"He takes ownership of his patients when they come in because we as hospitalists don't have relationships with our patients until they get here. And so, he has to establish trust with the patient and they familie and kind of guide them through probably the time when they're the most ill and gain their trust quickly. So, I think that's what impresses me the most about him," Dr. Paari Gopalakrishnan said.
"It's exciting, especially for my family. You know, they're really excited about it," Gelzhiser said.
His wife, Dr. Alisa Merolli, also is a hospitalist at Kent.
"She does a great job. She could've been the Top Doc as well," Gelzhiser said.
This Top Doc also takes pride in his top achievements: his three children.
It's a wonderful, full life personally, and a rewarding one on the job.
"Sometimes, you see patients that have been bouncing around different hospitals and different subspecialists, primary care doctors. It's great when we get to be the ones that find out what happened and what's going on," Gelzhiser said.
Rhode Island Monthly's issue of Top Docs is on newsstands now.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement