The Society of Hospital Medicine Announces Year-Long 25th Anniversary Celebration

Society To Commemorate Milestone With Reflections, Member Spotlights, and Special Features Honoring Legacy and Showcasing Evolution

Today, the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) proudly announces its 25th anniversary as the professional home for hospitalists and kicks off a year-long celebration, honoring its history while looking toward the future.

“Over the last quarter of a century, hospitalists have made great strides for both patients and the overarching healthcare system to fuel the growth of our specialty,” notes Eric E. Howell, MD, MHM, CEO of SHM and active member since 2001. “While it’s important to remember where we began, SHM is focused on the future of hospital medicine and the healthcare industry.”

In celebration of this milestone, SHM will highlight significant achievements of the society and its members that have transformed the specialty over the past 25 years. Articles in The Hospitalist, SHM’s monthly newsmagazine, social media spotlights, member profiles, and a dedicated page on SHM’s website, hospitalmedicine.org, will showcase the society’s growth and evolution to meet the changing needs of the specialty and the healthcare system.

Since its founding, SHM has empowered hospitalists by providing resources and education to impact positive change in the hospital setting that improve patient care, including in-person and virtual conferences, online learning modules, publications, and networking opportunities. By doing so, it has formed a tight-knit community of 15,000 hospital medicine professionals worldwide.

In 1996, Robert Wachter, MD, MHM, and Lee Goldman, MD, coined the term “hospitalist” in a New England Journal of Medicine article to identify clinicians whose primary location of practice was within the acute hospital. Not long after, John Nelson, MD, MHM, and Winthrop P. Whitcomb, MD, MHM, worked with respected colleagues in the field to form a society for the burgeoning specialty of hospital medicine. Originally named the National Association of Inpatient Physicians when founded in 1997, the organization officially became the Society of Hospital Medicine in 2003.

“Since the beginning, SHM has served to support and grow our vital roles in the hospital ecosystem and, in turn, promote exceptional care for hospitalized patients,” says Dr. Howell. “We have an even greater vision for the next 25 years and are excited to see what the future holds for the specialty.”

To share memories, photos, or reflections in celebration of SHM’s 25th anniversary, please email communications@hospitalmedicine.org. Members are invited to share memories on social media using the hashtag #SHM25.