Dr. Raman Palabindala loves his job as a hospitalist for many reasons, but one especially stands out. “We talk to the families every day, and multiple times in a day if needed. We take the time to establish that relationship with patients and families. We take care of patients as a team,” said Palabindala, an assistant professor of medicine. “We are there in the hospital 24 hours when patients and families need us.” That's his role as a hospitalist, a physician who exclusively cares for adult inpatients, whether they've recently had surgery, come through the Emergency Department, or were admitted for other reasons. “We are the one and only attending-based service for the entire hospital, unlike other services that have residents and fellows,” said Palabindala, who came to the Medical Center in December 2015. “We don't have a clinic outside the hospital.” His dedication to his patients and his excellence in medicine have been recognized by ACP Hospitalist magazine. Palabindala is among the Top Hospitalists for 2016, one of 10 physicians chosen from dozens of nominations nationwide by the editorial board of the publication of the American College of Physicians. At age 35, he's one of the youngest honorees in the program. “I work really hard in life,” said Palabindala, the Medical Center's lead hospitalist. “I knew when I was in my residency that I wanted to be a hospitalist, and I made contacts with national leaders to learn as much as I can.” He was nominated by his colleagues at Southeast Alabama Medical Center in Dothan, where he joined the staff in 2012 as a hospitalist in the Department of Internal Medicine. He served on the department's clinical teaching staff at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, and in 2015, he took on additional duties at SAMC as a home health director and clerkship director. He is a graduate of the Kamineni Institute of Medical Sciences in Narketpally, India. Palabindala completed residency training in internal medicine at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, serving as chief medical resident from 2011-12. |