Saint
Peter's University Hospital and Drexel University College
of Medicine to Affiliate
Affiliation Will Advance Clinical Research,
Education and Technology
New Brunswick, NJ (June 7, 2004) - In support of its mission
to provide quality medical education, Saint Peter's University
Hospital will affiliate with Drexel University College of
Medicine, the largest private medical school in the nation
and a leader in health science education and research, located
in Philadelphia, PA. Beginning in July 2005, 60 third- and
fourth-year students and residents will rotate through Saint
Peter's annually. These residents will be employed by Saint
Peter's, with Drexel University College of Medicine serving
as their university sponsor. Saint Peter's faculty will also
enjoy Drexel University College of Medicine faculty privileges.
Drexel University is ranked by U.S.
News & World Report as one of America's top doctoral universities. Saint Peter's
University Hospital has a long-standing commitment to medical
education. The two initially joined forces in 2003, along
with the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), to form
the Medical Technology Center for Infants and Children, the
first biomedical technology center in the region geared specifically
for infants and children. The new academic affiliation provides
a forum for advancing clinical research, education and technology,
as well as fulfilling a shared mission of focusing on outreach
for the underserved and indigent population.
"Saint Peter's affiliation with Drexel University will
strengthen the hospital's teaching mission and enable its
students to reap the benefits of the most technologically
advanced medical school in the nation," said The Most
Reverend Paul G. Bootkoski, Bishop of the Diocese of Metuchen,
sponsor of Saint Peter's. "We are also pleased that
the affiliation will allow the physicians who have mentored
medical students throughout the years to continue to educate
our future doctors."
"The dedication of our mission to medical education
is supported by the fact that we employ more than 125 full-time
faculty and are privileged to have the commitment of more
than 900 community physicians," said Sheryl Slonim,
president and chief executive officer of Saint Peter's. "Drexel
University College of Medicine's mission is teaching and
Saint Peter's is patient care. The affiliation truly matches
clinical strength with academic excellence."
"The Drexel College of Medicine model is to develop
partnerships with premium community teaching hospitals connected
by technology," said Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, dean,
Drexel University College of Medicine. "We are pleased
that Saint Peter's University Hospital, a leading hospital
in New Jersey, will become one of our many clinical campuses." Drexel
is also affiliated with Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh,
PA, Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, and
Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ.
Saint Peter's University Hospital was recently granted approval
by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
(ACGME) to sponsor a freestanding residency program in pediatrics,
OB-GYN and internal medicine. Beginning in July 2005, Drexel
students and residents will rotate through the program.
"The affiliation with Drexel University puts Saint
Peter's University Hospital at the forefront of medical education," said
Ronald C. Rak, Esq., chairman of the hospital's Board of
Trustees. "As a teaching center of Drexel, Saint Peter's
will offer the resources and research now available only
in major healthcare institutions. It will offer students
an opportunity to be educated in the classroom of tomorrow."
The academic affiliation will also partner first-class programs
in internal medicine and obstetrics with Drexel's world-renowned
specialists and researchers. Combining the 6,800 annual births
at Saint Peter's with the births at other Drexel-affiliated
hospitals will provide students and residents the unique
opportunity to participate in the delivery of more than 16,000
babies each year.
"We are thrilled that the affiliation will enhance
the caliber of medical education and look forward to the
many possibilities that will be made available through research
and advances in technology," said Slonim.
About Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine has established some
of the most highly innovative and rigorous academic programs
available today, incorporating science and technology
into traditional medical training. Drexel's College of Medicine
has participated in pioneering clinical trials involving
the world's first implantable artificial heart, established
one of the largest regional centers for spinal cord research,
developed an OB-GYN center overseen by internationally
prominent specialists in maternal-fetal medicine, and
created one of the largest centers for malaria study in the
nation. The College of Medicine has been designated one of
19 Vanguard National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health
by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and
is highly respected in numerous other specialties including
neuroscience, orthopedics and hepatology.
About Saint Peter's University Hospital
Saint Peter's University Hospital, a 422-bed acute-care
teaching hospital sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese
of Metuchen, has served the healthcare needs of central New
Jersey since 1907. Saint Peter's treats more than 30,000
inpatients and more that 200,000 outpatients annually. The
Children's Hospital at Saint Peter's University Hospital,
an affiliate of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia,
provides a full range of healthcare services to children
of all ages, and treats more children that any other healthcare
facility in New Jersey. Saint Peter's is recognized as a
Magnet hospital for nursing excellence.
Contacts
Saint Peter's University Hospital
Michelle Lazzarotti, 732-745-8600, ext. 8127
mlazzarotti@saintpetersuh.com
or
SGW
Colleen Conover, 973-263-5197
cconover@sgw.com  |
