Strong A.I. duPont and Jefferson Affiliation Makes a Perfect Fit To Further Joint Pediatric Mission in the Delaware Valley

Some years ago, the executive leadership of Jefferson and Alfred I. duPont Children's Hospital in Wilmington, Delware, shared a vision which today we can see unfolding as a new combined mission for pediatric care over a wide area of the Delaware Valley tri-state region.

The Jefferson and duPont leaders saw a world-renowned academic health center whose name and reputation for quality care are well known by potential patients and referring physicians in the Delaware Valley ­p; but which lacked many specialty resources to treat children.

Simultaneously, the leadership saw an outstanding pediatric facility doing extraordinary specialized work with children ­p; but lacking recognition as a children's hospital.

Brought closer together, the two institutions would make a natural fit to offer a range of outstanding pediatric care to greater numbers of families in the tri-state area.

Bringing them together in this complementary fashion was proposed and set into motion by Paul C. Brucker, MD, president of Thomas Jefferson University; Joseph S. Gonnella, MD, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean, Jefferson Medical College; Robert A. Doughty, MD, PhD, medical director of A.I. duPont; W. Jeffery Wadsworth, general manager, Nemours Foundation; Thomas J. Lewis, chief executive officer and president of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital; and Thomas P. Ferry, administrator of A.I. duPont.

The appointment a year ago of Alan R. Spitzer, MD, the Robert L. Brent Professor and chairman of Jefferson's pediatrics department as well as pediatrician-in-chief at Alfred I. duPont Children's Hospital, symbolizes the desire by Jefferson and Alfred I. duPont to work more closely together.

"We concluded that we would mutually benefit from closer ties because duPont and Jefferson offered each other a previously 'missing piece' in the healthcare market," Dr. Spitzer explains. "As a stand-alone hospital, duPont would benefit from a strong university affiliation, and Jefferson would benefit from the pediatric speciality resources in which duPont excels."

"Partnering our strengths to build a larger pediatric presence offers a clear option to referring physicians and patients. We want our option to be attractive to families living in the Philadelphia and Wilmington areas, including the suburban counties and South Jersey, so that these families can select one of our locations to receive their care," Dr. Spitzer says.

Dr. Spitzer himself splits his time between Jefferson and A.I. duPont, as will much of the pediatrics medical staff. This means doctors will see patients at both Jefferson or A.I. duPont.

"As we respond to changing reimbursement structures and increasing consumer awareness by patients, we're also able to provide high quality care from the strengths of two complementary institutions at two separate locations covering a wide area," he explains.

"For example, we know there are patients in Philadelphia whose families traditionally use Jefferson but not necessarily for pediatrics. With added subspeciality strength from duPont, Jefferson can now take children with more complex illnesses through screening at Jefferson for treatment at duPont, in addition to providing more basic care at Jefferson."

In summarizing the common duPont-Jefferson mission, Dr. Spitzer says: "We are attempting to build a number of programs that will enable pediatrics to really grow at both places, and permit both institutions to thrive in many ways not possible with stand-alone programs. "As we combine the images of these two institutions, our goal is to build a pediatric program equal to or better than the other pediatric programs that already exist. And to do this in a cost-efficient way without duplicating subspecialty care," Dr. Spitzer concludes.

Jefferson and A.I. duPont: Strengthening Our Common Mission Through New Staffing

Several staff appointments help further the combined pediatric mission of Jefferson and the Alfred I. duPont Children's Hospital, reports Alan R. Spitzer, MD, professor and chairman of Jefferson's pediatrics department and pediatrician-in-chief at A.I. duPont.

"Appointed in 1995 as chief of neonatology, Jay S. Greenspan, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, has done an outstanding job of developing new programs in neonatology as well as new hospital affiliations," says Dr. Spitzer. Dr. Greenspan's accomplishments are consistent with the decision made to continue to build Jefferson's general pediatric program and its strong neonatology program, keeping its intensive care nursery strong and thriving, Dr. Spitzer points out.

"Stephen Baumgart, MD, professor of pediatrics and director of our ECMO program, has been named a vice chairman in pediatrics and has been working very hard to build the pediatric presence of Jefferson and duPont in the region," says Dr. Spitzer.

Gary A. Emmett, MD, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics, appointed as director of general pediatrics at Jefferson, has been instrumental in building a thriving private practice while also strengthening the academic mission of teaching medical students and pediatric house staff, says Dr. Spitzer.

"Especially through our preceptor program for residents, we are in the process of building a primary-care network in pediatrics that we think will have some very beneficial effects for Jefferson and for subspecialists at duPont," says Dr. Spitzer. "In addition, we are recruiting new physicans in several subspecialty areas at duPont, some of whom have already begun establishing clinics and seeing patients at both Jefferson and duPont."

Among the new recruits are:

Balu H. Athreya, MD, whom Dr. Spitzer describes as "a major addition and one of the preeminent rheumatologists in the country. He came to us from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and is now rapidly building his rheumatology practice at both duPont and Jefferson, seeing patients at both places."

Dev Mehta, MD, gastroenterology, and Michael H. Goodman, MD, neurology, both of whom came from Cooper Medical Center.

"They are now primarily at duPont, but will also ultimately be taking care of patients on the Jefferson campus," says Dr. Spitzer.

"We also will have a number of other subspecialist pediatricians joining us in the very near future in infectious diseases, nephrology, pulmonology and cardiology," he adds.