The Department of Surgery is dedicated not only to providing patients with the most advanced and thorough medical care, but also to educating patients about the type of care they will receive at Columbia.
Please use the following links as resources to guide you in understanding the educational programs available at Columbia.
To learn more about our neighborhood, Washington Heights in Manhattan, please click here.
A comprehensive medical glossary is available at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital's "Health A to Z" website, http://www.nyp.org/library/index.html.
The Cardiovascular Health Education Center (CHEC™) at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is a resource center for patients, families and health care professionals dedicated to promoting cardiovascular health through the coordination of interdisciplinary programs and resources.
Our Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs seek to educate healthcare professionals about the latest in clinical care and research advances at Columbia. In addition, Columbia surgery faculty participate in the Speakers Bureau, a network of physicians with expertise in different areas of health who are available for educational presentation.
A new online patient education program is providing patients with an engaging, innovative way to learn about the surgical procedures they will undergo. Ten surgeons in the Department of Surgery are currently participating in a pilot program of Emmi™ (Expectation Management and Medical Information), and the initial response from both patients and surgeons has been positive overall.
The Department of Surgery helps to fund Health Corps, a community outreach effort modeled on the Peace Corps. Health Corps volunteers receive a two-year stipend to educate children about healthy living. They visit schools across the nation, teaching about nutrition, mental health, exercise, and overall awareness of the value and power of our bodies and minds.
The Health Tips section provides key information about select health issues including:
- Anger Management to Reduce Risk of Heart Disease
- Breast Self-Examination
- Cartoid Artery Disease and Stroke: Are You at Risk?
- Electrocardiography (EKG): A simple, safe way to monitor the heart
- Heart Disease Prevention
- Predicting and Preventing Sudden Death
- Risks for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Free online seminars offered by the Department of Surgery provide detailed information on breast care, surgical procedures, and cardiac care.
The Patient's Bill of Rights educates patients as to the type of care they can expect at Columbia as well as what privileges patients can exercise.
Prevention is the first step to the successful management of disease. As such, Columbia has several preventative programs to help patients manage their own health including:
- The Preventative Cardiology Program of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
- The PASSPORT to Health Program
- The Columbia Center for Heart Disease Program
Risk assessments are questionnaires developed by the medical community to help identify an individual's potential for acquiring a specific disease or disorder. Based on analysis of thousands of patient case histories, risk assessments seek to correlate a person's background (factoring in such variables as race, age, family history, etc.) and current or past behaviors (eating habits, smoking, etc.) with their chances for developing a specific disease.
