Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1361647
Christopher S. Muratore, MD, FACS, FAAP: LE ADING STONY BROOK CHILDREN'S DIVISION OF PEDIATRIC SURGERY, DR. MUR ATORE IS BUILDING A LEGACY OF SPECIALIZED, MULTIDISCIPLINARY PEDIATRIC SURGERY IN SUFFOLK COUNT Y. A S STONY BROOK Children's expands its offerings on Long Island, surgical ser- vices remain at the core of the hospital's mission. Performing both emergency and planned procedures, the pediatric surgeons at Stony Brook Children's, led by Christopher S. Muratore, MD, FACS, FAAP, Chief of Pediatric Surgery at Stony Brook Children's, care for patients from neonates to adolescents and young adults. As true general surgeons, Dr. Muratore says, there's little they haven't seen. "There are very few pediatric surgeons compared to other surgeons," Dr. Muratore says. "It's a bit of a cliché, but pediatric surgery is the last bastion of true general surgery, where I'm privileged to take care of the entire child." Dr. Muratore, who is also the Knapp Swezey Chair in Pediatric Surgery and Professor of Surger y at Rena issa nce School of Med ici ne of Stony Brook University, joined Stony Brook Children's in 2017 to lead the growing pediatric surgery program. "There had never been a surgeon in chief before for children," Dr. Muratore says. "Coming here to do that wa s a great opportunity." RECRUITING SURGICAL LUMINARIES S t ony B r o ok C h i l d r e n's r e c r u it e d Dr. Muratore from the Warren A lpert Medical School and Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, where he had worked for 12 years since completing his surgical residencies at Boston Children's Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Muratore says the opportunity to recruit pediatric surgical staff in advance of the new Stony Brook Children's facility opening was too good to pass up. "People who have been recruited to a growing program, like myself, have the same kind of vision," he explains. " We realize we can contribute to the overall betterment of the children's hospital and its comprehensive care for children." The staff expansions and new facil- ity ensure that Stony Brook Children's is better able to ser ve the families of Suffolk County, the rest of Long Island a nd beyond. Now, patients need not travel into Manhattan for most surger- ies. Consultations are available in offices from the East End to Commack, with all pediatric surgery performed at the new hospital on the Stony Brook campus. "Children's surgery requires lots of follow-up a nd continuation of ca re," Dr. Muratore says. "Having an institu- tion like Stony Brook, with multiple community access points, keeps people where they live and helps kids stay in school whenever possible. Families can continue working, too — they don't have to uproot themselves and move when their child has surgery." BY CARI WADE GERVIN Pediatric Surgery at Stony Brook Children's Hospital Elevated by Specialized Expertise 1 2❱❱❱❱❱ P H Y S I C I A N S P O T L I G H T