Education and training
Providing education for physicians is a primary goal of translational researchers and a fundamental step in the process of making new and innovative procedures available to patients as soon as possible. It’s the final step in the “bench to bedside” continuum. Known for its ability to successfully treat the most complex cases, and working with industry partners, Saint Joseph’s Hospital has been designated as a regional training center for physicians for several new technologies including:
da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System – Saint Joseph’s is the first hospital in Georgia, and one of only a few in the nation, to perform robotic-assisted, totally endoscopic, closed-chest heart surgery and has been designated as an exclusive training center in the Southeast for the da Vinci® robotic surgical system. Physicians from Georgia, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Mississippi, and around the world are being trained at Saint Joseph’s. The da Vinci robotic surgical system, FDA-approved to perform basic and advanced cardiovascular, as well as urological (prostatectomy) procedures, is a minimally invasive technique that allows open heart surgery to be performed without opening the chest, reducing health risks to patients and improving recovery time. Saint Joseph’s was the lead investigation site during FDA clinical trials for the da Vinci robot’s revascularization(coronary bypass) procedure approval.
• Advanced Electrophysiology – Physicians throughout the country are being trained on new approaches to treating arrhythmia’s in patients with congestive heart failure, employing innovative electrophysiology technology and materials to restore heartbeat regularity.
• Endoscopic Surgery – New minimally-invasive surgical techniques are being introduced where patients undergo abdominal or cardiothoracic surgery without invasive incisions but rather through small, key-hole size ports using miniaturized surgical tools.
• Innovative Catheters – In preparation for clinical trials, physicians are being trained in the use of new catheters for treating heart failure patients with cell and-or protein therapies.
