IPC The Hospitalist Company Announces 2013 Hospitalists of the Year

IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPCM), a leading national physician group practice company, today announced the recipients for its 2013 Hospitalist of the Year award. The IPC awards program, now in its sixth year, recognizes IPC clinical leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the Company, to their facility and to the patients they serve, both in acute care and post-acute care settings. Selected by IPC’s senior management team, this year’s five award recipients are:

Acute Care [tie]:
Nitish Kosaraju, M.D., was awarded Hospitalist of the Year for an acute care practice. Dr. Kosaraju is a Practice Group Leader for IPC’s Houston, Texas Region. An IPC hospitalist since 2010, Dr. Kosaraju practices at Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. Dr. Kosaraju is a recent graduate of the IPC-UCSF Fellowship Program for Hospitalist Leaders. Among his accomplishments was the implementation of a glycemic control program at Methodist Willowbrook. He was recognized as Hospitalist of the Year by his facility in 2012.

Jocelyn Hendricks, D.O., shared the honor of Hospitalist of the Year for an acute care practice. An IPC hospitalist since 2004, Dr. Hendricks is a Practice Group Leader for IPC’s Tucson, Arizona Region. She manages a practice group that has been active at St. Mary’s Hospital since 1997, the longest-serving group in the Company. A model hospitalist and highly respected leader, Dr. Hendricks was one of the first graduates of the IPC-UCSF Fellowship Program for Hospitalist Leaders.

Post-Acute Care:
Pedram Taher, M.D., was awarded Hospitalist of the Year for a post-acute care practice. Dr. Taher is a Practice Group Leader in IPC’s Bay Area, California Region, and also serves as Medical Director at Kindred Rossmore Skilled Nursing Facility in Walnut Creek. An IPC hospitalist since 2009, Dr. Taher took the lead in establishing a new IPC group in the East Bay and in establishing a significant presence for IPC in six skilled nursing facilities in the area. He is also an IPC-UCSF Fellowship Program for Hospitalist Leaders graduate.

Non-Physician Provider:
Tammy Hilliard, FNP-C, was awarded Hospitalist of the Year for a non-physician provider. Ms. Hilliard is a Nurse Practitioner and a Practice Group Representative for IPC in the Phoenix, Arizona Region. An IPC clinician since 2009, Ms. Hilliard is a co-founder of IPC’s first post-acute care practice group in the Phoenix market. She has been instrumental in implementing the group’s first cross-coverage schedule and rounding model, which allowed for full 7-day coverage, improved patient satisfaction, and better facility relationships. Ms. Hilliard is currently enrolled in the IPC-UCSF Fellowship Program for Hospitalist Leaders.

Newcomer Clinician of the Year:
Jeffrey Harris, M.D., was awarded Newcomer Clinician of the Year, a new award category established so that IPC may recognize outstanding clinicians who have joined the organization over the past 12 months. Dr. Harris is a neuro-hospitalist in the IPC San Antonio, Texas Region. Joining the company in January 2013, Dr. Harris is creating a neurology-focused hospitalist practice group. He has played an integral role in the planning and execution of building this successful specialty hospitalist practice.

Adam D. Singer, M.D., IPC chairman and CEO, said, “We are extremely proud to recognize Nitish Kosaraju, Jocelyn Hendricks, Pedram Taher, Tammy Hilliard, and Jeffrey Harris. These clinical leaders represent the best of a highly talented and dedicated talent pool. IPC’s reputation for clinical excellence is built upon the model of leadership and standards of excellence embodied by these five outstanding individuals. We are indeed fortunate and appreciative to have them as part of the IPC team.”

The Hospitalists of the Year award includes an honorarium to each of the five award recipients. Additionally, IPC makes a $2,500 donation to each recipient’s charity of choice. The donation is made on behalf of IPC, as well as the facility in which each of the recipients serves.

About IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc.

IPC The Hospitalist Company, Inc. (Nasdaq: IPCM) is a leading physician group practice company focused on the delivery of hospitalist medicine and related facility-based services. IPC's physicians and affiliated providers practice in over 400 hospitals and 1,100 post-acute care facilities. The Company offers its 1,800 employed clinicians comprehensive training, information technology, and management support systems to improve the quality and reduce the cost of patient care in the facilities it serves. For more information, visit the IPC website at www.hospitalist.com.