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Jefferson Surgical Solutions

Authors

Members of the Acute Care Surgery team on the helipad at 11th & Walnut Streets in Center City: David Rittenhouse, MD, Joshua Marks, MD, Julie Donnelly (Program Coordinator), George Koenig, DO, Gary Lindenbaum, MD, Alannah Ryan, RN, CRNP, Pankaj Patel, MD, Murray Cohen, MD, Michael Weinstein, MD, and Jay Jenoff, MD.

Jefferson’s Division of Acute Care Surgery keeps expanding its reach. The Center City campus has long maintained a Level I Trauma Center. Paoli Hospital, part of Main Line Health in Chester County, has been a Level II Trauma Center led by Jefferson surgeons since 2010. Then, the 2015 merger with Abington Hospital brought its established Level II Trauma Center into the Jefferson Health fold. A second Main Line Health hospital, Lankenau Medical Center, is in the final stages of becoming an accredited Level II Trauma Center thanks to its partnership with Jefferson (see “Surgeon Speaks”). And, most recently, Aria Health has expressed interest in tapping into Jefferson’s demonstrated expertise to support its Level II Trauma Center in the Torresdale section of Northeast Philadelphia.

Add it all up, and you have one of the largest trauma systems in any metro area, says Murray J. Cohen, MD, FACS, Associate Professor and Director of the Division of Acute Care Surgery, which encompasses trauma, surgical critical care and emergency general surgery.

“Jefferson’s Acute Care Surgery Division now has a presence not only in Center City, but also in Chester County and two locations in Montgomery County, including one near West Philly,” Dr. Cohen says. “As we move forward with Aria, our footprint will extend to Northeast Philly, as well. Over time, we will standardize policies and protocols to ensure consistently high-quality care at every location.”

Another key advantage of the Division’s growing presence: patients with sub-specialty injuries, such as ophthalmologic and spinal cord or other complex orthopedic injuries, can be channeled to Jefferson’s Level I Trauma Center more quickly and efficiently.

“That’s better for the patients and it’s better for the referring physicians, who know whom to call if they have to get someone out for a higher level of care,” Dr. Cohen explains.

Jefferson-affiliated trauma centers all utilize JeffSTAT, a medical transportation service owned and operated by Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. This 24-hour service provides a seamless transportation and referral system, with advanced life support, critical care ambulances, medical helicopters and personnel with the advanced training necessary to route the sickest and most sub-specialized patients to the Center City location as quickly as possible after injury.

Telemedicine for Acute Care Surgery Patients

Patients also benefit from JeffConnect Virtual Rounds – a telemedicine solution designed to enhance communications during and after a hospital stay. During a stay, acute care surgeons use the system to hold videoconferences with patients’ families – enabling face-to-face updates with relatives whether they’re in the suburbs or another state. Following discharge, surgeons use JeffConnect Virtual Rounds to conduct some follow-up visits. Using their smartphones, patients can get the care they need without traveling to what is often a brief appointment.

From increasing its physical footprint to enhancing communications and convenience with JeffConnect Virtual Rounds, the Division of Acute Care Surgery represents a significant resource for a growing number of patients across the Delaware Valley.

For more information about using JeffConnect for On-Demand Virtual Care, Scheduled Online Visits, Remote Second Opinions and Consults, please visit: Jefferson.edu/JeffConnect

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