Medical Leaders Improve Patient Care Through Education

Bethlehem, PA (2/27/2017) – Physicians from St. Luke’s University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network recently conducted a medical summit that could enhance health care in the region and across the country.

Dr. Israel Zighelboim participates in the recent MIGS  symposium sponsored by St. Luke’s University Health Network. 

The educational symposium, which focused on “Prevention and Management of MIGS (Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery) Complications,” was jointly sponsored by St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) and Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) and open to all attending physicians, medical residents and fellows from both institutions.

The regional health care providers delivered the learning opportunity for the purpose of creating better doctors and ultimately better patient outcomes, according to Israel Zighelboim, MD, FACOG, FACS, one of the program organizers and the newly named chair of the SLUHN’s department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The program was led by a team of physicians from both institutions, including Vincent Lucente MD, MBA, and Michael Patriarco, DO, co-directors of St. Luke’s Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery, and Martin A. Martino, MD, Gynecologic Oncologist and medical director of LVHN’s Minimally-Invasive Robotic Surgery program.

The program’s keynote speaker, Jon Ivar Einarsson, MD, PhD, MPH, is the director of the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Einarsson said he was drawn to the Bethlehem-based program in part for the chance to catch up with his old pal and mentee Dr. Zighelboim, but stressed that it was only part of the attraction. “This kind of exchange of ideas is so important,” Dr. Einarsson said. “I go to conferences all over the world where we learn from each other and get different ideas on how to do things. I am very impressed with the quality of the presentations today. I am very happy to be a part of it.”

Dr. Einarsson kicked off the program with “How to Avoid and Manage Complications of Laparoscopic Surgery.” Dr. Lucente continued with the “Prevention and Management of Mesh Complications,” and Dr. Patriarco, discussed the “Prevention and Management of Morcellation Complications.”

Dr. Lucente concluded his presentation with some very practical advice for his young colleagues on the medical-legal considerations of their actions with an anonymous quote that captured the essence of the lesson he was trying to impart: “The complication is not the sin, the failure to recognize it is.”

Dr. Martino followed Dr. Patriarco’s session with a talk on the “Prevention and Management of Robotic Complications,” and Dr. Zighelboim rounded out the lecture portion of the symposium with a presentation on “Laparoscopic Anatomy.”

The afternoon session, led by Drs. Einarsson, Lucente, Martino, Patriarco and Zighelboim explored “Pelvic Floor, Laparoscopic Anatomy and Extraction Techniques.”

As Gynecologic Oncology surgeons, Drs. Zighelboim and Martino are often called upon for their expertise on the management of complex gynecologic conditions by their colleagues. They have previously collaborated to provide joint training initiatives for their respective institutions, and both said that they would participate in this valuable educational program again.

“This program demonstrates how patients can benefit as a result of teamwork and collaboration between LVHN and SLUHN,” Dr. Martino said. “It is our hope that these future physicians will deliver outstanding care for our patients, our family members and the communities they serve.

In the future Dr. Zighelboim expects that the collaboration between the OB/GYN departments at both St. Luke’s and Lehigh Valley Health Network will continue to benefit the young physicians the health networks train and the patients they serve. They have already started to plan next year’s event.

Photo Caption:
Dr. Israel Zighelboim participates in the recent MIGS (Minimally Invasive Gynecological Surgery) symposium sponsored by St. Luke’s University Health Network.

Photo Credit:
Anita Sergent of St. Luke’s University Health Network

About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a non-profit, regional, fully integrated and nationally recognized network providing services at seven hospitals and more than 270 outpatient sites. The network’s service area includes Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks, Montgomery, Berks and Monroe counties in Pennsylvania and in Warren County in New Jersey. Dedicated to advancing health education, St. Luke’s operates the nation’s oldest School of Nursing and 22 graduate medical educational programs and is considered a major teaching hospital, the only one in the region. In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the region’s first Medical School. Repeatedly, including 2016, St. Luke’s has earned Truven’s 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation as well as 50 Top Cardiovascular program in addition to other honors for clinical excellence. St. Luke’s is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of St. Luke’s information technology applications such as electronic medical records, telehealth, online scheduling and pricing information. St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers in comparison to major teaching hospitals and other health systems.
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