Thursday, March 24, 2011

Joe's Story - Doctors Work in Harmony to Get Patient Playing Again

Last September, Joe D'Amadeo, 45, was riding his bike through an intersection half a mile from his Holmdel home when a car plowed into him. He crashed to the ground. An ambulance rushed Joe to the emergency department at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. He had broken two bones in his left leg — his tibia and fibula. Doctors performed surgery that day to piece the bones back together.

"For patients who experience a traumatic injury like Joe did, the care doesn't end when they leave the hospital," says Michael Rose, M.D., a plastic surgeon at Jersey Shore. "It's a long road to recovery, and there are many steps along the way."

Fortunately for Joe, the vast expertise available throughout Meridian Health supports patients through every step of the treatment and recovery process. Every patient's care is closely and consistently monitored by a multi-disciplinary team of experts.

Multiple Levels of Care
Two days after the first operation, Joe underwent a second surgery. When Joe was hit, the bones in his leg tore through the muscle and skin. During the surgery, Dr. Rose took a portion of a muscle from the back of his left calf and rotated it over the wound to cover it up and help it heal.

Joe spent two weeks recovering in the hospital before being transferred to Riverview Rehabilitation Center at Riverview Medical Center. There he received physical and occupational therapy daily. "The goal was to relearn how to do everyday things like walking up stairs, bathing, and getting into a car," Joe says.

A week and a half later, he went home, but the care continued through Meridian At Home. For three weeks, nurses made daily visits to change the dressing on Joe's wound. This helped ward off an infection. While at home, Joe continued his therapy with a physical therapist from Meridian At Home.

And after his at-home care was completed, Joe attended Meridian's Outpatient Physical Therapy Center at Holmdel for physical therapy sessions several times a week over the following few months.

Seamless Transitions Aid Recovery
"Thanks to the in-depth communication among the doctors, we're able to take patient care to the next level as they move from venue to venue, and ultimately help them return home and get reintegrated into the community," says Jorge Corzo, M.D., medical director of Rehabilitation Services at Riverview Medical Center, who treated Joe.

"The transition from one Meridian facility to another was incredibly seamless," Joe says. "I was blown away by the quality and consistency of care throughout all of the Meridian locations. I know that it played a key role in my recovery."

About the Doctors
  • Jorge F. Corzo, M.D.
    Board certified in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
    Holmdel, NJ | 732-264-1132
  • Michael I. Rose, M.D.Board certified in General Surgery & Plastic Surgery
    Shrewsbury, NJ | 732-741-0970