Thompson joins hospital as hospitalist
With his degree and residency complete, Oneida native Josh Thompson has returned to his hometown to practice medicine at Scott County Hospital.
The son of Steve and Debby Thompson, Thompson graduated from Oneida High School in 1995, where he was a standout football player and a member of the OHS 1992 state championship team; it was Thompson’s interception late in the game that preserved the Indians’ 13-10 win over BGA.
After graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1999, Thompson attended medical school at the University of Tennessee at Memphis, from which he graduated in 2004. Following his graduation from UTM, he trained at the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville until June 2007.
Thompson, who specializes in internal medicine, joined SCH August 1, where he is one of three hospitalists (joining a team that includes Dr. Richard Yap and Dr. Anita Lui).
In introducing himself to the community, Thompson says it is important to understand the role that hospitalists perform in the healthcare system.
“If someone comes to the emergency department of the hospital and the ER physician decides that the person needs to be admitted, they call us (one of the hospitalists) and we go and assess the patient ourselves,” Thompson said. “Then they’re moved to the regular hospital ward and we continue to treat them until they’re well enough to go home.”
Thompson added that it’s important that patients understand that hospitalists do not replace their primary physician.
“Basically, it’s a matter of continuing care,” he said. “If a patient is admitted to the hospital (through an ER referal or a referal from the patient’s primary care doctor), we take care of the patient and once they’re released, they return to their primary physician.”
Thompson served a stint as an intern at the hospital during his college days, and said that things have improved since he was last at the hospital in 2000.
“Things have changed for the better,” he said. “Luckily, a lot of the staff members are the same. There is not as much turnover as some hospitals have, which enables the staff to have a better relationship with each other. Teamwork is the most important aspect of medical care.”
While Thompson was recruited to SCH by Attentus Healthcare, which appears to be in the early stages of transferring management of the facility to St. Mary’s Health Systems, Thompson said he expects a smooth transition.
“St. Mary’s has a very well liked reputation with everyone in Knox County. I think that will help here with them being involved in our facility,” he said. “It’s very important to have alliances with bigger facilities. While we can do almost everything at the Scott County Hospital, there are times when we do need more specialized care.”
Thompson said that his goal is to do everything he can to make patients better, while keeping the dialogue as easy to understand as possible.
“A problem throughout all of healthcare is we’re told we’re using big words that people don’t understand,” he said. “But people won’t admit they don’t understand. So I’m going to try to talk in as simple of terms as I possibly can. I want them to understand how to make their health better.”
Thompson stressed that attitude is important in healthcare.
“A patient does and should expect us to give them the right care to make them better,” he said. “A patient will remember how they were treated, especially if they were treated bad while they were feeling bad.” But if they’re treated good, he said, they will pass that message along to others as well.
Thompson said that the staff at Scott County Hospital has that right attitude.
“The staff is doing a good job here,” he said. “There is a team approach that needs to be met, and for the most part, we’re accomplishing that. I want the community to understand that we have a highly capable staff and physicians to take care of their healthcare needs.”
Thompson resides in Oneida with his wife, Jodi (Williams). The couple have one child, age five months.