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Upstate def ines outcomes not just on ty pica l things, like complications or timings. "We also prioritize patient satisfaction and quality of life so that our clinical care addresses all the needs of our patients and their families," Dr. VanderMeer adds. COORDINATED CARE FOR COMORBIDITIES T he si ze of t he Ups t at e Un iversit y Hospital system makes it easy to coor- dinate comprehensive care for patients, no matter what health struggles they may be facing. It is not uncommon for more than one surgica l team to be treating a patient and the communication infrastructure streamlines bringing in any necessary experts. The surgeons also take care to communicate with primary care pro- viders, as the hospital may be treating a patient for one condition or several. A COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE A s a medica l universit y, most of the surgeons providing services at Upstate University Hospital also are faculty at Upstate's College of Medicine, dem- onstrating an ongoing commitment to education and training. "One of my proudest a ccompl i sh- ments is that the surg ica l clerkship is now rated one of the top educationa l experiences by the medica l students," Dr. Cooney notes. In addition to educating medical stu- dents, Upstate is growing its surgica l fellowship programs. Last year, Upstate Medical University created its first ever vascular surgery fellowship and this year will offer its first fellowship in reconstruc- tive urology. The academic mission is an essential part of the hospital. Surgeons participate in ongoing clinical trials and research to develop the state-of-the-art knowl- edge and techniques to solve medica l unknowns and improve outcomes. Surgeons collaborate with Upstate science colleagues on a range of projects. One study is focused on lung injuries in patients with COVID-19 and how to help them heal and recover. Others studies involve collecting samples of breast and brain tissue for cancer research. Several departments — Surgery, Ophthalmology, Urology, Orthopedics and Neurosurgery, in particular — have considerable faculty and external funding dedicated to their research mission. Surgeons also partner with external institutions, such as nearby Syracuse and Cornell Universities for tissue engineer- ing and brain tumor research. n Discover more about Upstate University Hospital's many surgical options at upstate.edu/media/surgery. Based on emergency surgery outcomes, Upstate is a top trauma hospital nationally. It was recognized for "meritorious outcomes" by the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Preethi Ganapathy, MD, PhD, is a surgeon and a scientist specializing in glaucoma. She, along with Robert Fechtner, MD, are the only two surgeons in the region to perform surgery on patients with pediatric glaucoma at Upstate's Center for Vision Care. Division Chief G. Randall Green, MD, and Stephen Waterford, MD, are the cardiac surgeons at the multidisciplinary Upstate Heart Institute. M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A L N E W Y O R K ■ 2 0 21 0 9