Progress Report Division & Section Reports
General Surgery Group
Spencer E. Amory, MD
General Surgery Group
General Surgery Group is Columbia University Medical Center's community hospital serving northern Manhattan and adjoining areas of the Bronx, including Riverdale. The facility opened in 1988, and the surgical service here has grown steadily. We offer the convenience and care of a community hospital and the surgical expertise of a world-renowned medical center. In 1996, in recognition of our unique mission, the general surgical service at the Allen was designated a division level entity within the Department of Surgery.
The department established a presence at Allen to focus on providing the surgical care that the local population needed. For example, in the community we encountered a high incidence of gallstones. In 1990, we developed the skills to perform laparoscopic gallbladder surgery. Our early interest and efforts to address this local problem placed us at the forefront of the development of laparoscopic surgical techniques. This expertise has since benefited many patients beyond our local community.
General Surgery Group provides a broad range of services, including breast, hernia, gastrointestinal, anorectal and endoscopic surgery in a unique environment. Nestled between the Spuyten Duyvil River and the Columbia University Baker Fields, the General Surgery Group is a respite from crowded urban streets. However it is readily accessible by mass transit and major highways. Many patients are reassured by Allen's smaller scale. For ambulatory surgery one can literally park at the front door and have all care accomplished right on the ground floor.
Two areas of special interest are laparoscopic surgery and surgery in the elderly. Drs. Peter Geller, Michael Treat, Zachary Gleit and I frequently perform the most common laparoscopic operations such as cholecystectomy and hernia repair, with outcomes that exceed the best published results nationally. Older patients are cared for by multidisciplinary teams in our geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) unit.
The section of General Surgery Group is an integral part of the Department of Surgery. Recently a teleconferencing link with the Milstein campus was established. This facilitates participation by surgeons at the Allen and at the Milstein in regular conferences at both campuses. Patients who require care not available on one campus are cared for on the other campus.
We participate in local screening programs and are in the midst of an effort to reach out to internists and family practitioners in the community. On site we have developed a model for providing outpatient care in a teaching setting. We provide our patients with the expert care of an attending surgeon, while our residents have the opportunity to follow patients through the preoperative, operative, and postoperative periods. We feel compelled to ensure that the General Surgery Group division becomes an even greater health resource to our community. We have begun to analyze our outcomes so that we can demonstrate the results of our approach.
The provision of high quality surgical care in a community setting requires a great deal of energy and talent. We believe in tailoring surgical care to meet the broader needs of the patient and in the constant pursuit of excellence in that endeavor.
General Surgery Group
http://www.columbiasurgery.org/divisions/allen/index.html
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