Our Staff
Our Center is staffed by highly skilled specialists
and surgeons trained in techniques for bloodless
medical management and surgery. The participating
medical staff works directly with our medical
director, Patricia
A. Ford, MD.
Our Center’s coordinators, nurses, pastoral
counselors and volunteers have expertise in non-blood
management. Our staff is always sensitive to
our patient’s religious or personal beliefs
regarding bloodless medicine and treatment.
Please click on the links below to learn more
about our staff:
Physicians and Surgeons
Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation’s first hospital, offers our patients
the most experienced physicians in the region in various specialties. Patients
referred to the Center receive treatment by many top physicians performing
non-blood medical and surgical techniques using the least invasive methods
including:
- Cardiovascular medicine
- Cardiothoracic surgery
- General surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Obstetrics and gynecology
- Orthopaedic surgery
- Pulmonary
- Stem cell transplants
- Trauma
- Urology
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Nursing
The Center’s nursing staff work with our medical director to manage patient
care and to follow the recommended bloodless treatment plan. For example, our
nurses will:
- assess and respond to patient health issues.
- provide recommendations on Center specialists.
- take initial patient history, assessment
and blood counts.
- monitor hemoglobin levels.
- administer medications to boost blood count.
- recommend ways to manage anemia or bleeding.
- provide counseling on nutrition and iron.
- follow patient’s progress before,
during and after surgery.
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Administrative Director
Michael J. Columbus, Administrative Director
Mike Columbus serves as the administrative director
for the Center for Bloodless Medicine & Surgery
(CBMS) at Pennsylvania Hospital. He has over
14 years of experience in the administration
of bloodless care patients and was instrumental
in the initiation, planning and the establishment
of the first center for bloodless care in this
region.
Mr. Columbus lectures extensively on bloodless
care and non-blood medical management. He works
as a consultant to medical facilities, both nationally
and internationally, seeking to establish bloodless
care centers. He is a founding member of the
organization the Society for the Advancement
of Blood Management (SABM), a board member of
the Association for Blood Conservation (ABC),
a member of the Network for the Advancement of
Transfusion Alternatives (NATA) and an editor
for noblood.org.
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Bloodless Care Coordinators
Bloodless care coordinators educate patients and their families about our program.
They are trained on all the available alternatives to non-blood medicine
and surgery.
Upon first visiting the Center, our bloodless
care coordinators assist patients with the required
paperwork including advance directives (i.e.,
living wills and durable powers of attorney for
health care) to facilitate their enrollment in
the Center. Bloodless care coordinators communicate
and assist patients and families throughout their
association with our program.
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Social Workers
When necessary, our social workers meet patients and families during the initial
visit or intake session. Social workers coordinate and provide comprehensive
services including:
- counseling and coping strategies.
- serving as a liaison with the bloodless and
hospital health care team.
- assisting with community and support programs.
- obtaining information on lodging, medical
equipment, medication costs, financial assistance,
transportation, insurance issues, prosthetics
or other needs.
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Pastoral Counselors and Volunteers
We offer daily pastoral services for spiritual and social support by our Patient
Visitation Group. In addition, our program has dedicated volunteers offering
patients and their families compassion and understanding throughout their
hospital stay or treatment program.
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