When serious illness hits, it's comforting to know there are people like Dr. William Childres on the third floor of Auburn Memorial Hospital ready to care for patients - even if it's only for a few days.

A hospitalist at AMH, Childres practices a different kind of medicine than the typical family physician. He only sees patients who are in the hospital for a short time.

“It's the more acutely ill that I see,” Childres said. “You get attached to some patients, but hope not to see them again, because when they are in the hospital it is because they are very ill.”

Unfortunately, the downfall Childres described is that upon discharge he no longer knows how patients are taking care of their health, and sometimes there are patients that he recognizes, who might be back at the hospital a month after caring for them.

“There's a big difference between

hospital medicine and primary care,” he said.

Having recently finished his residency at Upstate Medical University, Childres, 35, has worked as one of AMH's four hospitalists for the last three months. He said he has learned a lot about the social aspect of his job.

Families, for instance, are often not ready for the event of death. Sometimes an elderly person might just give up, he said. Childres helps them understand.

“It's not hard for us to let a patient go, we see it all the time,” he said. “But it's helping the family.”

He also helps loved ones understand if the patient has previously expressed wishes not to be resuscitated, or kept alive on life support.

“You have to tell them it's not deciding what you want, but it's what they want,” Childres said. “But the family feels guilt letting a family member die.”

There are also the situations Childres must deal with when a patient is unconscious and their wishes have not been expressed. Those, he said, are more difficult - decisions must come on deciding to what extent they should go, and for how long, to keep the person alive.

“Most (patients) are at the end of their lives,” he said. “They might be 90 and sick, you have to consider what the quality of their life will be if they wake up. But we do what can be done.”

Seeing this different side of medicine can be exhausting. Childres admits to thinking about the stress of having the chance to be able to save someone and making sure everything is done perfectly.

But being able to help families and patients is what he finds most rewarding.

“A heart attack patient will obviously come to the hospital ... we don't get the people who have a cold,” he said. “It wares on you, especially when someone dies.”

And though he can't exactly pinpoint the reason he chose this profession, it is fulfilling for him.

“There is more satisfaction with sick patients,” he said. “And, it's also a lifestyle choice.”

Originally from a small town, Childres was pleased to take a job at AMH, because Auburn represented the type of area he was looking to live.

Working solely at the hospital, the hours are not exactly set. For Childres, who has a wife and two children, the schedule can include a mix of both day and night coverage. He's not sure if we wants to be hospitalist forever.

The environment at AMH, however keeps it smooth.

“It's very easy to get stuff done, everyone works together here,” he said.

Staff writer Laura Boyce can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 236 or at laura.boyce@lee.net