TidalHealth receives $1 million grant from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware recently awarded TidalHealth a $1 million grant for advanced robotic training at TidalHealth Nanticoke in Seaford, Del. Attending the check presentation were, from the left, front row, Penny Short, TidalHealth Nanticoke President; Dr. Jarrod Buzalewski, Bariatric and Robotic surgeon; Jessica Hales, TidalHealth Foundation President; Dr. Simona Eng, GME Designated Institutional Official and Nick Moriello, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware President. In the back row are Dr. Steve Leonard, TidalHealth President/CEO; Mike Warfel, Highmark Health Sr. Vice President of Government Affairs and Dr. David Winston, General Surgery resident.

 
SEAFORD – Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware has awarded TidalHealth a $1 million BluePrints for the Community grant to support the health system’s Graduate Medical Education curriculum.

A portion of the funds will be used to purchase a daVinci Xi surgical robot console for TidalHealth Nanticoke in Seaford, Del. The dual training control consoles will be used by TidalHealth’s resident physicians and their proctors in the General Surgery Residency program. Additionally, the grant will support the construction of on call rooms at the Seaford hospital for surgical residents, where they can rest and decompress between extended shifts.

“Highmark understands the need to develop and retain the healthcare workforce, and acknowledges the unique challenges that are found rural areas. We are pleased to support TidalHealth’s Graduate Medical Education program and the positive impact we anticipate it having on access, availability and quality of care in Southern Delaware,” said Nick Moriello, President of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware.

There are more than 66,000 surgeons in the United States who are trained on daVinci robotic techniques across various surgical procedures. The dual console daVinci Xi is the same model in use at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional in Salisbury, Md.

Robot-assisted surgery is often taught with the surgical mentor at the console manipulating the instruments and the trainee watching at the patient’s bedside. The surgeon sees the surgical site through a magnified, 3D, high-definition console to control tiny instruments with greater dexterity and precision while performing the operation. 

The benefit of the daVinci dual console is that it allows a mentor to teach with both the surgeon and the resident each working at individual consoles while viewing and even participating in the same surgery simultaneously.

Of the many advantages of robotic surgery, patients experience smaller incisions, reduced pain, less scarring and a faster recovery and return to life’s daily activities. TidalHealth first introduced physician-guided daVinci robotic surgery to Delmarva in 2007. For the last 17 years, it has remained on the cutting edge.

“With the majority of today’s physicians graduating from medical school with robotic experience, it’s a necessity that our surgical residents have the same access during their specialized training with TidalHealth to ensure they can continue to refine their skills and be well-rounded and educated in the latest robotic techniques,” added Steve Leonard, Ph.D., MBA, FACHE and President/CEO of TidalHealth. “The dual console enables integrated teaching, surgical precision, and advanced supervision during an operative procedure.

BluePrints for the Community, Highmark’s donor-advised fund at the Delaware Community Foundation, has invested over $38 million to the community since its inception in 2007. It was established to increase access to care and reduce healthcare disparities in Delaware.

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