Medscape reports on the latest data for hospitalists. Hospitalist numbers are up this year, up about 5000 hospitalists since 2007.

Here is a summary:

Hospitalist groups continue to rapidly expand in size. Over the past year, hospitalist programs have experienced a mean growth of 31% in number of hospitalist full-time equivalents (FTEs). This rate of growth is very similar to the results of the 2005-2006 survey, which reported an annual growth in hospitalists’ staffs of 29%.

Hospital medicine groups are maturing and expanding their work beyond the confines of 1 hospital: The median age of hospitalist groups is now 5 years. Thirty percent of groups cover more than 1 hospital. The mean number of hospitals supported by a hospitalist group is 1.9.

The median size of hospitals in which hospitalists work is 310 beds, and they include all types:

56% of hospitalists work in teaching hospitals;

83% work in nonprofit hospitals;

12% work in for-profit hospitals; and

5% work in government hospitals.

Read the full survey here.