Farzana Hoque, MD, MRCP, FACP, FRCP
Associate Professor of Medicine
Acting Internship Co-Director
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Inaugural Medical Director of Bordley Tower, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
Saint Louis, Missouri
1. What is your current professional position?
I am an Associate Professor of Medicine and Acting Internship Co-Director at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. I teach medical students and residents, guiding their transition to becoming trusted physicians. Additionally, I am the Inaugural Medical Director of Bordley Tower at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. Bordley Tower currently has four inpatient units and serves over 23,000 patients yearly. I am also the President of the Society of Hospital Medicine St. Louis Chapter.
2. Why did you choose internal medicine?
I was captivated by internal medicine due to its wide variety of disease processes and intricate connections to various specialties. As an academic hospitalist in a tertiary care hospital, I enjoy treating acute, complex patients through a multidisciplinary and evidence-based approach. I collaborate with our surgical specialties as an internal medicine consultant. I consider it a great honor to care for my patients and earn their trust.
3. What trends are you seeing in your day-to-day practice (with patients, the health care system, or otherwise)?
The availability of medical information on the internet can be a double-edged sword for patients and physicians, as misinformation is also prevalent. Health care has become more specialty-specific due to the advancement of medical science and subspecialty training. As a result, patients are now being taken care of by a wide variety of teams. Hospitalists play a crucial role in orchestrating treatment plans by coordinating among multidisciplinary teams, which is fundamental for high-quality, safe, patient care. As a medical director, my focus is on improving quality metrics to ensure patient safety and enhance the patient experience.
4. What do you want to accomplish professionally within the next five years?
I have received two grants: one to reduce falls in the hospital and the other to provide health education and community resources to ensure food equity among patients. I am also leading a project to improve the patient experience at our hospital. Along with the success of these crucial projects, my mission is to be promoted to full professor and contribute as a trusted academic physician leader and educator.
5. Can you share a brief (and anonymous) patient encounter or professional situation that made you proud to be an Internal Medicine physician?
Recently, I cared for a patient with newly diagnosed advanced-stage cancer. He had multiple GI bleeding episodes upon admission and was diagnosed with a blood clot during hospitalization. It was a complex situation due to his multiple comorbidities and poor prognosis. His four sisters were actively involved in his medical care. I discussed his care plan with him and his sisters multiple times to ensure shared decision-making. A few days after his discharge, I received an e-mail from his sisters stating they will always remember me and my care. The hospital administrator sent me a kudos note that was submitted by the patient and his family. The title "Dr." symbolizes my lifelong passion for healing and making a difference in others' lives. When I wear my lab coat, it feels like donning a superhero cape to treat and heal my patients.