Virtua/duPont: a life-saving partnership
Last December, Peggy Centritto of Runnemede was preparing herself for what she thought could be her 11-year-old son Joey's last Christmas. Instead, she received a gift that she will never forget. With the help of a pediatrician from Virtua Health and specialists from the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, she got her son's life back.
Diagnosing a rare disease
A close relationship
A world-class affiliation
Diagnosing a rare disease
In September 1999, Centritto took her son to John M. Tedeschi, MD, chairman of pediatrics at Virtua West Jersey Hospitals. Joey exhibited classic symptoms of bronchitis, however, his condition did not respond to the standard bronchitis treatment. Early one morning, he awoke choking on his own blood. Centritto took him to the emergency room where doctors found he had a partially collapsed lung; a chest x-ray also showed a spot on his lung. Dr. Tedeschi encouraged Centritto to consult with the experts at Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware for pediatric sub-specialty care.
Joey was diagnosed with a rare, autoimmune vascular disorder called Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) which is characterized by an inflammation of the walls of the blood vessels. This inflammation restricts blood flow to the lungs and sinuses and destroys the tissues. Its cause is unknown, and it often takes months to diagnose. "It's a deceptive disease that starts out like a cold or bronchitis," according to Dr. Tedeschi, "and it is very difficult to diagnose in the early stages. Without the right treatment, it can damage the respiratory tract, lungs, and kidneys. It can even lead to death."
At duPont, Joey met with pediatric pulmonologists, rheumatologists, surgeons, and infectious disease specialists to determine the best course of treatment. After several hospitalizations and two bronchoscopies (a procedure that helped the doctors locate the source of Joey's bleeding), Joey was diagnosed with WG. In December, a pediatric surgeon removed a granuloma (a tumor-like mass) from Joey's lung and he was well enough to go home on Christmas Eve.
Joey's health was a gift that his mother will never forget. "It's a miracle. I feel so grateful to these doctors for saving Joey's life."
A close relationship
One thing that stands out in Centritto's mind is the close relationship that her pediatrician shared with the pediatric sub-specialists at duPont: "I trust Dr. Tedeschi, so when he referred me to duPont, I felt confident that my son would get the best care. They truly formed a partnership and kept us aware of Joey's condition and treatment at all times. They always explained the tests and procedures to me in a way that I could understand and, more importantly, in a way that Joey could understand."
Joey is back to doing all of the things that a normal, 12-year-old boy should be doing. He's doing well in school, playing roller hockey, and planning for a future career as a prosecutor. "I'm glad I'm back in school," says Joey. "I know I need to get really great grades to get into Penn State."
A world-class affiliation
"Virtua Health delivers more babies than any other hospital in the area, so it's natural that we would also be a leader in pediatric care," says Adrienne Kirby, PhD, Virtua's vice president of women's and children's services. "But now, thanks to a partnership between Virtua Health and the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, youngsters with more complex medical conditions can be treated close to home by experienced pediatric sub-specialists."
The affiliation brings world class pediatric sub-specialty care in cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, orthopaedics, endocrinology, pulmonology, and general pediatric surgery to Virtua Health's existing sub-specialist services. Specialists from duPont see patients in their Voorhees office and provide surgical services at Virtua West Jersey Hospital Voorhees and the Summit Surgical Center, soon expanding those services to Virtua Memorial Hospital Burlington County. David Zalut, MD, chief of family medicine for Virtua West Jersey Hospitals and Thomas O'Donnell, MD, chairman of pediatrics at Virtua Memorial Hospital Burlington County, agree that this affiliation is part of Virtua's commitment to providing the community with the highest quality medical services. "Parents trust their primary care physician, so when their child needs specialty treatment, it's reassuring that this physician remains an integral part of his care. Because of this relationship, the duPont sub-specialists work diligently to make sure that the primary care physician is kept involved and informed in the child's treatment." says Dr. Zalut.
"We are pleased that we have such an outstanding partner in duPont Hospital and their sub-specialists to support the excellent primary care now delivered by our pediatricians and family practice doctors," says Dr. O'Donnell. This includes: 24-hour in-house pediatric coverage at Virtua Memorial Hospital Burlington County and Virtua West Jersey Hospital Voorhees; two in-house pediatric units; four pediatric anesthesiologists; pediatric emergency care; a wide range of education programs; and, comprehensive newborn screening for all infants.