Capital Health and Temple University Hospital Announce Affiliation for Liver Transplant and Advanced Surgical Services

News provided by

Mar 23, 2021, 12:00 ET

PENNINGTON, N.J. and PHILADELPHIA, March 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital Health and Temple University Hospital have entered into a affiliation for liver transplant and advanced surgical services that will streamline coordination of care and minimize the amount of travel required by patients in the community served by Capital Health. Under the terms of the affiliation, Capital Health patients who are approved candidates will receive liver transplants at Temple, but will receive pre- and post-transplant care and related diagnostic tests close to home at Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell under the direction of both Capital Health and Temple physicians.

"Temple Health is a nationally recognized leader in health care and the perfect partner to complement the innovative surgical services offered at Capital Health, such as liver auto-transplant surgery, bloodless liver surgery, and robotic-assisted surgery across our service lines," said Al Maghazehe, PhD, FACHE, President and CEO of Capital Health. "Similarly, Temple University Hospital patients who are approved candidates will receive their procedures at Capital Health but will receive pre- and post-surgery care and related diagnostic tests close to home at Temple University Hospital under the direction of both Temple and Capital Health physicians. Through this affiliation with Temple, we're thrilled to provide patients access to the most innovative liver surgery and transplant options in a way that keeps them closer to home and their loved ones throughout their course of treatment."

"We are pleased to be collaborating with Capital Health on a unique affiliation that will benefit patients from both institutions, said Michael A. Young, MHA, FACHE, President and CEO of Temple University Health System and Temple University Hospital. "Capital Health patients will now have access to Temple's liver transplant program, which is home to some of the nation's foremost liver specialists, and Temple patients will now have access to additional treatment options for liver abnormalities through Capital Health."

Capital Health offers bloodless liver surgery and liver auto-transplant surgery performed by Cataldo Doria, MD, PhD, MBA, FACS, an internationally renowned hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeon who helped develop these innovative techniques. As part of this new partnership, Temple patients who are candidates for these advanced surgical procedures will be referred to Capital Health.

Temple University Hospital's team has decades of experience in caring for patients with chronic liver diseases, including hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease and liver cancer as well as those suffering from drug toxicity or a rare metabolic disease. Temple's highly skilled, multidisciplinary team is led by Antonio Di Carlo, MD, CM, FACS, FRCSC, Associate Professor of Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) and Chief of Abdominal Organ Transplant Surgery at Temple University Hospital; and Lee F. Peng, MD, PhD, Chief of Hepatology and Associate Professor of Medicine at LKSOM, and Medical Director of Liver Transplantation at Temple University Hospital.

As part of the new collaboration, Temple patients with pancreatic cancer who are appropriate candidates will also have access to complex open and robotic-assisted Whipple procedures performed by Dr. Doria. In September 2019, Capital Health became the first hospital in Central New Jersey and the Greater Philadelphia region to offer robotic-assisted Whipple procedures to treat pancreatic cancer.

About Capital Health
Capital Health is the Central New Jersey/Lower Bucks County region's leader in providing progressive, quality patient care with significant investments in physicians, nurses and staff, as well as advanced technology. Comprised of two hospitals (Capital Health Regional Medical Center in Trenton and Capital Health Medical Center – Hopewell), a Hamilton outpatient facility, and various primary and specialty care practices across the region, Capital Health is a dynamic health care resource accredited by DNV GL - Healthcare.

A four-time Magnet-designated health system for nursing excellence, Capital Health serves as a Level II regional trauma center, regional perinatal center (including a Level III NICU), and emergency mental health screening center. Capital Health also offers the region's first and most experienced Pediatric Emergency Department and most recently, New Jersey's first Autism-Friendly Pediatric Emergency Department. Capital Health also provides innovative programs such as Capital Institute for Neurosciences; nationally accredited Center for Comprehensive Breast Care; Center for Digestive Health; Marjorie G. Ernest Joint Replacement Center of Excellence; award-winning Cancer Center; and the Heart & Vascular Institute, which includes the region's first accredited Chest Pain Center. For more information, visit capitalhealth.org.

About Temple Health
Temple University Health System (TUHS) is a $2.2 billion academic health system dedicated to providing access to quality patient care and supporting excellence in medical education and research. The Health System includes Temple University Hospital (TUH); TUH-Episcopal Campus; TUH-Jeanes Campus; TUH-Northeastern Campus; Temple University Hospital – Fox Chase Cancer Center Outpatient Department; TUH-Northeastern Endoscopy Center; The Hospital of Fox Chase Cancer Center, together with The Institute for Cancer Research, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center; Fox Chase Cancer Center Medical Group, Inc., The Hospital of Fox Chase Cancer Center's physician practice plan; Temple Transport Team, a ground and air-ambulance company; Temple Physicians, Inc., a network of community-based specialty and primary-care physician practices; and Temple Faculty Practice Plan, Inc., TUHS's physician practice plan. TUHS is affiliated with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

Temple Health refers to the health, education and research activities carried out by the affiliates of Temple University Health System (TUHS) and by the Katz School of Medicine. TUHS neither provides nor controls the provision of health care. All health care is provided by its member organizations or independent health care providers affiliated with TUHS member organizations. Each TUHS member organization is owned and operated pursuant to its governing documents.

Non-discrimination notice: It is the policy of Temple University Hospital and the Hospital of Fox Chase Cancer Center, that no one shall be excluded from or denied the benefits of or participation in the delivery of quality medical care on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, disability, age, ancestry, color, national origin, physical ability, level of education, or source of payment.

SOURCE Capital Health