Any inpatient, shift-based specialty, such as a hospitalist service, needs to have a firm understanding of anticipated staffing.  Whether the schedule is completed in 3-month, 6-month, or annual blocks, forecasting staffing for a hospitalist service or other inpatient program is critical to understand where there may be shortcomings.  Deficiencies in staffing are not simple.  Given different hospitalists may work different types of shifts and be full-time or part-time, understanding a service's staffing position can [...]