What is INTERNAL MEDICINE?

Internal medicine is the medical specialty that focuses on adult health. Internal medicine physicians are specially trained to treat a variety of ailments ranging from the common cold and seasonal allergies to more serious conditions involving the heart, lungs, liver, and other organs. Your internist can perform a yearly physical exam, give you advice on preventing disease and staying healthy, as well as managing chronic diseases. They also function as primary care physicians and will help coordinate care and refer to specialists when necessary.
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Please visit the American College of Physicians website for more information  www.acponline.org/patients_families/about_internal_medicine

With what hospitals are you affiliated?

Our office is affiliated with Northwestern Memorial Hospital. All our physicians have academic appointments with Northwestern University – Feinberg School of Medicine. We help train future physicians at the various levels of training from medical students to residents.
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Should I be hospitalized at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, will my doctor from Michigan Avenue Internists (MAI) be taking care of me?

Should the situation arise that you need to be admitted to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, you will be cared for by a specialist called a hospitalist. Hospitalists are internal medicine physicians who have a special interest in the care of hospitalized patients. Your physician from MAI will be in contact with the hospitalist and other physicians taking care of you, helping coordinate your care and assisting the inpatient physicians with any questions they have regarding your medical condition. Once you are discharged from the hospital a summary of your hospitalization is then sent to your physician at MAI making your transition back to your internist as seamless as possible.

There are occasions, however, where you can be hospitalized, yet your physician at MAI is not notified by the hospital staff. To avoid this, please mention your doctor’s name to the hospitalist that is taking care of you.
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What if I need to speak to my physician after office hours?

While we understand that the practice of medicine does not stop when our office closes, we ask that you only contact us after office hours for urgent matters. To contact us during these times, simply call our office number and our answering service will page your physician. Should your matter be a true medical emergency we ask that you call 911 or head directly to the nearest Emergency Room.

From Friday 5:00pm until Monday 7:00am, one of our physicians takes the calls for the entire practice. Please note that Dr. Ewert and Dr. Peters take their own calls during the weekends. We ask that medication refills are not done during the weekend if at all possible.
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