Plug the Gap, Keep the Flow: Harnessing Backup Systems in Hospital Medicine

Reliability shouldn’t depend on heroics. Hospitalists build two field‑tested backup models grounded in benchmarks and multi‑site research; describe two‑tier daily coverage with activation criteria, standby compensation, call‑in differentials, payback rules, and scope limits; identify funding and C‑suite levers using float staffing and transparent tracking; and recognize justice‑based practices that cut burnout, leaving with templates that elevate flow, equity, and outcomes.

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Availability

On-Demand

Expires on Sep 12, 2026

Cost

Member: $0.00

Non-Member: $95.00

Credit Offered

1 CME Credit

1 Participation Credit

Overview
Faculty
Accreditation
Recommended

Learning Objectives
After completing this activity, learners should be able to:

Be able to describe different backup systems and the pros and cons that often come with each.
Identify the key aspects needed to developing a backup system at your own organization.
Recognize common mistakes related to backup systems and learn about new solutions to common backup system challenge.

Faculty

Marisha Burden
Romil Chadha, MD
Lakshmi Swaminathan
Stephanie Leung

Faculty Disclosures
The individuals in control of content for this activity have no relevant relationships with ACCME-defined ineligible companies to disclose unless listed here. Any relevant relationships were mitigated prior to the start of this activity.

Accreditation Statement
The Society of Hospital Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

CME Credit Statement
The Society of Hospital Medicine designates this enduring material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

SHM Consults Core Curriculum

Hospitalists are the fastest growing portion of the physician work force. Some estimate there will be 50,000 hospitalists needed in the next 10 years. As the number of hospitalists grows, so too will the clinical settings in which we practice. Consultative medicine is a service provided by many hospitalists, and a future in which almost all surgical patients are co-managed by hospitalists is already a reality for some. For many of us, our training in consultative medicine during residency was limited. We hope this curriculum will help you to feel more confident about your knowledge and skills and will lead to better patient outcomes. We welcome your comments and suggestions for future topics.

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Unstable Tachyarrhythmias for the Hospitalist

Signals blur when tachyarrhythmias destabilize a patient—make them readable. In this focused course for hospitalists, you’ll differentiate aberrancy from true ventricular rhythms, understand how accessory pathways shape conduction, and describe mechanisms with precise, shared terms. We standardize language across patterns so teams synthesize findings faster and improve decision-making at the bedside.

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Critical Care for the Hospitalist Series

Many hospitalists provide critical care services without adequate support or training, putting patients at risk and exposing hospitalists to medical liability. This educational series covers common or high-risk clinical scenarios that hospitalists encounter in and out of the intensive care unit.

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Critical Care of Patients with Liver Disease

When MELD-Na tops 30, will you spot danger and act fast? This case-driven video equips hospital clinicians to recognize decompensation, stage hepatitis vs cirrhosis, and triage transfers with crisp, bedside algorithms. You’ll treat encephalopathy without oversedation, run the variceal bundle, prevent AKI/HRS, and outpace sepsis. Special modules decode alcoholic hepatitis and fulminant failure—so your next shift delivers safer care and better survival.

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Rapid Clinical Updates: 2026

Rapid Clinical Updates is designed to reach Society of Hospital Medicine members and other hospitalists and clinicians with the latest information on clinical updates and treatment when and where they need it most, with actionable education that will help clinicians improve case delivery and the outcomes of hospitalized patients during hospital stay and after discharge. This bundle contains all of our webinars from 2026.

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Rapid Clinical Updates: No Rest for the Admitted: Tackling Insomnia in the Hospital

Sleepless at 2 a.m. on the ward? In this rapid clinical update, you’ll understand drivers of inpatient insomnia, examine the latest sleep science, and evaluate risks like delirium and falls. We’ll design and apply non‑pharmacologic protocols, judiciously manage medications, and address team workflows that disrupt rest. Leave ready to help hospitalized patients sleep better—and improve safety, recovery, and morale.

Multiple Credits

$0.00 - $95.00