Inpatient Infectious Disease Consultations
Bedside infectious disease expertise at hospitals throughout Northwest Arkansas for complex, resistant, or undiagnosed infections.
Hospital Coverage in Northwest Arkansas
Our physicians provide inpatient infectious disease consultations at hospitals across Northwest Arkansas. Coverage includes major hospitals in Fayetteville, Rogers, Springdale, and Bentonville. We respond to consultation requests from hospitalists, surgeons, intensivists, and other admitting physicians. Same day consultation is the standard, and urgent cases are seen sooner. Our team rounds daily on hospitalized patients we are following and provides written and verbal updates to the primary admitting team. We also participate in multidisciplinary rounds and tumor boards when our input is needed.
Who Requests Consultations
Inpatient consultations are most often requested by attending hospitalists, surgical teams, critical care physicians, and admitting specialists. Patients and their families do not typically request infectious disease consultation directly because hospital workflow runs through the admitting physician. If you or a family member is hospitalized and you believe an infectious disease specialist should be involved, ask the admitting physician to place a consultation request. Most hospitals have a streamlined process, and a consult is usually placed within minutes once the team agrees it is needed.
Cases We Commonly See
Common reasons for inpatient consultation include sepsis of unclear source, fever of unknown origin, complicated pneumonia not responding to initial treatment, endocarditis, bone and joint infections, prosthetic device infections, central nervous system infections, complicated urinary or abdominal infections, infections in transplant recipients and other immunocompromised patients, infections with multidrug resistant organisms, infections in returning international travelers, and post operative infections. We also help interpret unusual culture results, advise on antibiotic stewardship, and assist when treatment is not working as expected.
Follow Up After Discharge
Many infections require care that continues after the patient leaves the hospital. We arrange follow up appointments at our outpatient offices, transition patients onto our infusion center if outpatient IV therapy is needed, and communicate with home health agencies when home infusion is the right option. Discharge planning starts before the patient leaves the hospital so there are no gaps in care. The patient and family receive clear written instructions on medications, follow up timing, and warning signs that should prompt earlier contact.
Transition to Outpatient Care
Patients discharged on antibiotic therapy or with ongoing infectious disease needs typically have an outpatient appointment within one to two weeks. The first outpatient visit reviews progress since discharge, checks labs, evaluates for side effects, and adjusts therapy if needed. For long term IV therapy, frequent visits are scheduled. For shorter courses or transition to oral antibiotics, follow up may end at the completion of treatment. Long term conditions identified during hospitalization, such as newly diagnosed HIV or chronic Hepatitis C, are folded into our chronic infection management program.
Common Questions from Our Patients
How can I or my family member request an infectious disease consultation in the hospital?
Consultations are placed by the admitting physician, not by the patient directly. If you believe an infectious disease specialist should see your family member, ask the hospitalist or attending physician to place a consult. They can do this through the hospital's electronic system, and our team is usually at the bedside the same day. Most attending physicians are receptive to these requests, especially for complex or unclear cases.
Do you see patients at every hospital in the area?
Our physicians cover the major hospitals in Northwest Arkansas including those in Fayetteville, Rogers, Springdale, and Bentonville. Coverage at any specific hospital can shift over time based on our group's contracts and the hospital's needs. If you want to know whether we cover a specific hospital, call our office and we can confirm. If we do not cover a particular hospital, we can usually suggest another infectious disease practice that does.
Will I need to come to your outpatient office after discharge?
Most patients seen during hospitalization do need outpatient follow up to monitor recovery, complete a course of antibiotics, watch for relapse, or transition to long term management. Discharge plans include the timing of the first outpatient visit and any labs or imaging needed before that visit. Our office calls patients within a few days of discharge to confirm the appointment, answer questions, and address any issues that have come up since leaving the hospital.
How quickly will the inpatient team see me after a consult is placed?
Consultations are seen the same day in the great majority of cases. Urgent cases such as suspected meningitis, severe sepsis, or critical illness are seen within hours. The exact timing depends on case load and the time of day the consult is placed. Our team is in regular communication with hospitalists and intensivists, so even before the formal bedside visit, telephone advice is often available promptly.
Will my insurance cover the hospital consultation?
Inpatient consultations are billed separately from the hospital stay and are typically covered by the same insurance that covers the rest of your hospitalization. Coverage details depend on your specific plan, your deductible, and whether our practice is in network. Our billing team works with your insurance and can answer specific questions after the visit. Patients with financial concerns should contact our billing office to discuss payment plans or assistance programs.