Philadelphia International Medicine Adds St. Christopher's to its Hospital Network

St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children has joined the Philadelphia International Medicine (PIM) network, and will work together to increase referrals of international patients at the pediatric hospital.

Through the agreement, PIM will market St. Christopher’s programs and physicians to international hospitals and doctors, foreign government agencies, international insurers and prospective patients.  PIM will handle all logistics for the international patient, from arranging to have a St. Christopher’s doctor review a medical report to scheduling an appointment.  PIM also arranges hotel accommodations and submits patient bills to international payers.

The addition of St. Christopher’s will allow PIM greater flexibility in responding to requests from international patients for all pediatric services. “The combination of the caring, nationally recognized specialists from St. Christopher’s, the hospital’s award-winning nursing staff, and Philadelphia International Medicine’s experience in international patient care will make it easier for families traveling to Philadelphia for specialized medical care,” said Leonard Karp, president and CEO of Philadelphia International Medicine.

St. Christopher’s is a 189-bed pediatric hospital founded in 1875. It is affiliated with the Drexel University College of Medicine and Temple University School of Medicine. In 2009, it was granted Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services by the American Nurses Credential Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program®. Magnet recognition is one of the highest levels of recognition a hospital or medical center can achieve. With more than 270 pediatric specialists, St. Christopher’s is an ideal multi-specialty hospital for international patients.

“We are proud to join the Philadelphia International Medicine (PIM) network and share the expertise of our pediatric specialists with patients from around the globe,” says Kirat Kharode, chief business development and marketing officer for St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. “It allows us to reinforce our commitment to providing international patients with the highest level of compassionate, comprehensive pediatric care, beginning with evaluation and treatment and including plans for management when they return home.”
 
Particular areas of expertise include: general surgery; orthopedic surgery; cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery; neonatal medicine; endocrinology; ophthalmology; neurology and neurosurgery; clinical genetics; dialysis and kidney transplant; and oncology.

St. Christopher’s Kidney Center for Children is a uniquely integrated program bringing together pediatric experts in nephrology, urology and transplant surgery, who are assisted by specialized nursing and supporting child-centered caregivers. This comprehensive family-oriented approach helps children and families children with end stage kidney disease return to normal life through dialysis and kidney transplants. St. Christopher’s is at the cutting edge of kidney transplant care and has performed more than 430 kidney transplants since 1971.

The Orthopedic Center provides specialized care and treatment of problems of bones and joints in infants, children and adolescents. Children with multiple problems are treated comprehensively to include: bone and joint infections; congenital abnormalities of the limbs and spine; hip disorders, such as congenital hip dislocation and slipped capital femoral epiphysis; spine deformities, such as scoliosis and spondylolisthesis; foot deformities, such as clubfeet; neuromuscular problems, primarily cerebral palsy and myelomeningocele; and simple and complex fractures and dislocations.

The Heart Center for Children provides comprehensive evaluation and treatment of infants, children, adolescents and young adults with congenital or acquired heart disease and a variety of other cardiac conditions. The Center also offers fetal ultrasounds for possible fetal heart disease. Surgical correction of pediatric cardiovascular abnormalities and complex cardiovascular malformations of newborns and young infants is provided by an expert surgical team. Collaboration with interventional cardiologists in the Heart Center for Children allows many children with congenital heart anomalies to be treated without surgery, or with less surgery than would otherwise be necessary.

St. Christopher’s Hospital has a comprehensive cancer center that provides compassionate family-centered care as well as a wide range of state-of-the-art therapies and clinical trials. St. Christopher’s Section of Oncology offers various treatments for all childhood cancers as well as dedicated neuro-oncology and stem cell transplant programs. The Section provide onsite facilities for conscious sedation and procedures, an infusion center, radiology facilities, onsite Internet access to radiology studies, and onsite phlebotomy services.

You can make an appointment or receive further information about St. Christopher’s by calling PIM at 1-215-563-4733; fax, 1-215-563-2777; or e-mail, physicians@philadelphiamedicine.com.  Also, you can find out more about PIM and its featured services through its Website at www.philadelphiamedicine.com.    Other hospitals in the PIM network include:  Fox Chase Cancer Center; duPont Hospital for Children; Jefferson Home Care; Pennsylvania Hospital; Temple University Hospital; Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.