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4 min readHow hospitals work
Who is who during a hospital stay?
Answer
During a hospital stay you may meet an attending physician who leads your care, residents or fellows in training, hospitalists who work only in the hospital, consultants from other specialties, nurses who provide continuous care, and case managers who plan discharge.
Rounds are the daily team discussion of your plan. Asking when rounds occur is one of the highest-value questions a family can ask.
Key points
- Ask who the attending clinician is — the answer can change day to day.
- The case manager or social worker owns discharge logistics.
- Every shift change is a handoff; repeating key concerns is normal and useful.
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Sources & transparency
- Patients and Families — Hospital Care(opens in a new tab)
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Retrieved by Phoenix Jul 10, 2026
- Last reviewed:
- Jul 15, 2026
- Next review due:
- Jan 15, 2027
- Editorial owner:
- Phoenix Health Compass Editorial Team
- Medical reviewer:
- Not yet clinically reviewed
Content version:2.0.0
AI-assisted plain-language editing