The medical director in hospital-based transitional care units.

This article begins with a brief overview of what subacute care is and why it is growing exponentially. It then discusses the characteristics of patients appropriate for treatment in a transitional care unit (TCU) and the evolving role of physicians in their care. The process of care in a typical hospital-based TCU from admission to discharge is discussed with an emphasis on documentation and an interdisciplinary approach. The role of the medical director is emphasized. The article closes with strategies the authors feel are useful for improving care in hospital-based TCUs.