Summit Medical adds a hospitalists program

Summit Medical Center has added a new program to help serve the growing healthcare needs in Crawford County. 

Beginning in January, Summit Medical Center began a hospitalist program. Hospitalists are physicians who specialize in the care of patients in the hospital. They work with patients’ regular physicians, keeping them up to date on the patients’ conditions while in the hospital. Summit Medical Center has two hospitalists providing services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, Drs. Kaylan Akkineni and Mohammed Ur Rehman.

Akkineni is a board certified internal medicine physician with many years of hospital experience. Ur Rheman is a board certified family practice physician who completed his residency from AHEC in Fort Smith.

“In addition to working at Summit Medical Center, the hospitalists also provide services at Sparks Regional Medical Center. They will be able to follow a patient whether they are at Summit or at Sparks creating a strong continuum of care,” Shelly Weilenman, administrator at Summit Medical Center, said in a statement.

Hospitalists care for many conditions including: Respiratory disease (asthma, pneumonia, COPD), communicable diseases (influenza, West Nile), sepsis (infections), IV therapy, pre- and post-surgical care, and wound care (burns and cuts).

Summit Medical Center is a fully accredited, 103-bed acute care hospital located in Van Buren. The hospital is managed by Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Associates.