Paterson, NJ [July 25, 2011] - Why do so many children from across New Jersey and around the  world land at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital (SJCH), located at St. Joseph’s Regional Medical  Center in Paterson, New Jersey? A leading academic medical facility with board-certified  physicians representing virtually every specialty and subspecialty under one roof, SJCH offers the  highest level of care, through a combination of expertise and convenience unmatched by other  hospitals in the region. The multidisciplinary staff, capable of performing medical miracles when  children are facing life-threatening diseases or injuries, has but one goal—to help patients achieve  the best possible outcomes in order to lead healthier lives in a friendly environment that feels more  like a home than a hospital.

As a major teaching hospital, St. Joseph’s experts collaborate through academic affiliations with other talented physicians from leading medical institutions including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, Columbia University School of Medicine, and the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. In July 2011, St. Joseph’s announced two new major academic endeavors:  the opening of a new pediatric dentistry residency program in association with Seton Hall University School of Health and Medical Sciences - one of only two pediatric dentistry residency programs in the state and one of 73 programs in the nation; and the establishment of an affiliation with New York Medical College, a member of Touro College, that includes medical education and research in Pediatrics, among other specialty focuses. Additionally, SJCH is proud to be part of the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals/Council of Children’s Hospitals and the Children’s Oncology Group, an international collaborative of top medical facilities.

“Clinical partnerships with other high-level research institutions enable our patients to benefit from St. Joseph’s wide array of leading-edge treatments, many not yet available at most other hospitals,” Dr. Lamacchia says.

SJCH is also involved in clinical trials, offering new treatment strategies for such diseases as sickle cell anemia and leukemia, two common, but often difficult-to-treat, illnesses.

St. Joseph’s is equally adept at diagnosing and treating routine and obscure conditions. Care is provided by pediatric experts at nearly a dozen St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital locations in Northern New Jersey and throughout the world, thanks to high definition 3-D telemedicine and video teleconferencing connectivity provided in partnership with Medical Missions for Children at SJCH. This high-tech approach enables consultations during which physicians at St. Joseph’s provide expertise to distant patients’ primary pediatricians during “real time” patient examinations, an innovative process that saves lives.

In one such instance, physicians at St. Joseph’s used video teleconferencing to consult on the case of a child in Armenia who was having intractable seizures. The St. Joseph’s team recommended altering the child’s medication and the outcome was successful.

One of the most recent telemedicine applications at SJCH is helping parents of children who have feeding and swallowing difficulties. Such disorders are common, especially during the first two years of life and among autistic children. In fact, approximately 30 to 40 percent of autistic children have difficulty swallowing food and liquids. The causes can include behavioral, anatomical or developmental issues, as well as food allergies, injuries or premature birth.

Such patients can be treated at SJCH’s Center for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing, one of just four such facilities in the country. The Center has successfully treated patients from 38 states and seven countries.

“Many patients come from long distances for feeding and swallowing diagnosis and treatment. When they go back home, we provide a camera and computer so our experts can continue to evaluate the children in their home environments and provide interventions as needed,” Dr. Lamacchia says.

The efeed™ program, as it is known, is one of many ways St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is improving outcomes through innovation and patient education.

It can be heartbreaking when a child has a birth defect. No one understands this better than the health care professionals at The Alfiero & Lucia Palestroni Birth Defects Center at SJCH, established to diagnose and treat a wide range of birth defects. With a multidisciplinary team of pediatric specialists, the Palestroni Center is one of a few such centers in the United States, and the only one of its kind in New Jersey. The goal of the Center is to provide a medical home for children with complex conditions and to support families in what is often a very stressful situation.

The latest innovations in diagnosis and treatment can be found at SJCH. Many procedures that once required multiple surgeries and lengthy hospital stays can now be accomplished more quickly using minimally invasive techniques. St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital has long been recognized as a leader in the treatment of craniofacial deformities. Consider, for example, a common condition known as craniosynostosis, in which a baby’s skull is malformed because of early fusion of the sutures. With an early diagnosis, craniofacial surgeons at St. Joseph’s can usually correct the problem by making two small incisions and operating with the assistance of an endoscope instead of having to open the entire skull, as was once necessary. This less invasive approach has fewer complications. The patient is in and out of the hospital in one to two days, instead of five or six days, there is minimal blood loss, and the chance of a successful outcome is excellent.

Whether reshaping a skull, repairing a defective heart or helping a child with a clubfoot to take his first steps,          St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital treats more patients with birth defects than any other hospital in the region. And more experience means better results.

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is one of busiest state designated children’s hospitals in New Jersey. Pediatric dentistry residents will have the opportunity to benefit from resources such as the Regional Craniofacial Center, the Palestroni Birth Defects Center, the Autism Center and many other specialized units in the Children’s Hospital. In addition, an expanded pediatric oral health presence will have a positive impact on the education of medical students and pediatric residents and will enhance many clinical services provided at the Children’s Hospital as well.

To learn more about the programs and services of St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, members of St. Joseph’s Healthcare System, please visit us at www.StJosephsHealth.org.