C h i r o n i a n
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New York Medical College
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▲ ACGME-Approved: Dr. Sabando confers with chief resident Brian Yokers, D.O., and resident Alexis Lapietra, D.O., as resident Matthew Meigh, D.O. (foreground, left), examines a patient in the ED’s dedicated geriatric section.
that the mean emergency department wait time was approximately 58 minutes. According to Sabando, St. Joseph’s average wait time is 25 minutes. In the geriatric ED, the wait time reduces even further, to 17 minutes. The center’s pediatric emergency unit has a wait time of 20 minutes. According to Sabando, those reductions are no accident. “We are constantly working on improvements,” he says. “We eliminated the waiting area. Patients go straight to one of those beds and are seen pretty quickly.” A spirit of lifelong learning, service, and leadership permeates the entire department and its residency program. That sense of constant evolution is likely to gain momentum with NYMC on board, Sabando and others say, and the hospital’s dual accreditation in both M.D. and D.O. programs shows that innovation is not limited to computer screens or hospital rooms. Though not common, the dual program has its advantages, both for patients and learners, Sabando says. Yokers agrees. “More M.D. programs are beginning to take a more holistic approach, of treating the whole patient rather than a single problem,” Yokers says. “That’s always been the D.O. model, and I think we can learn from each other.”
Yokers believes the new partnership holds particular potential in the area of research, allowing St. Joseph’s doctors to better gather and leverage data gleaned from its massive and diverse patient population and, by extension, help the nation learn more about what works and what doesn’t in emergency medicine. Many believe such whole-patient care, which focuses on achieving or preserving health as opposed to simply solving problems, offers a solution to the nation’s exorbitant health care costs. Meigh says the department, the residency program, and the new partnership with NYMC provides a win for all sides. Despite the challenges of living and working in Paterson, Meigh says he detects a hint of envy when he tells residents in other programs of the service he and his fellow residents provide in the community—and the learning opportunities they encounter. “We get a lot of immigrants, many who have just come into the country,” says Meigh. “We get a lot of exotic diseases and trauma. The medical textbook comes to life and walks through the door. We are at the forefront of some very intense cases. We can handle all of it without blinking an eye.” ■