Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has been recognized as a designated Clinical Center by the Alliance to Cure Cavernous Malformation for the treatment of cavernous malformations.
A cavernous malformation, also known as a cerebral cavernous angioma or cavernoma, is a mulberry-shaped collection of abnormal blood vessels with thin, leaky walls, most often found in the brain and the spinal cord. They can develop and hemorrhage at any age, including in young children, though they are most likely to become symptomatic when a person is between ages 20-40.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals is a comprehensive healthcare facility dedicated to providing specialized care for a broad spectrum of patients. The facility offers a multidisciplinary team consisting of vascular neurosurgeons, seizure neurologists, neuroradiologists, geneticists, and a dedicated nurse to help each patient navigate through the system.
Pascal M. Jabbour, MD, is an Angela and Richard T. Clark Distinguished Professor and Division Chief, Neurovascular Surgery and Endovascular Neurosurgery, at Jefferson. He also serves as the Medical Director of their new Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Clinical Center. “We are very excited that the Alliance to Cure Cavernous Malformation has recognized Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals as a CCM Clinical Center. We are a big multidisciplinary team capable of offering diagnostic and state-of-the-art treatment options for patients with CCMs while guiding them through the process,” Dr. Jabbour says of the recognition.
Dr. Jabbour also leads the neurosurgery second opinion program, the details of which can be found at this link: Neurosurgery Second Opinion Program (jeffersonhealth.org)
“We welcome Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals into our growing network of CCM Clinical Centers and applaud them for the informed and multi-disciplinary care they offer our patients. Dr. Jabbour and his team have long been appreciated by our Philadelphia-area patients. We expect this recognition will raise his program’s visibility on the national stage,” remarks Connie Lee, Alliance to Cure Cavernous Malformation CEO.
The designated, multidisciplinary team at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital includes:
- Pascal M. Jabbour, MD, Division Chief of Neurovascular Surgery
- Stavropoula I. Tjoumakaris, MD, Neurosurgeon
- Robert H. Rosenwasser, MD, Neurosurgeon
- Michael R. Gooch, MD, Neurosurgeon
- Diana L. Tzeng, MD, Neurologist
- Christopher T. Skidmore, MD, Epileptologist
- Michelle Rochman, MS, LCGC, Neurogenetics Department
- Adam E. Flanders, MD, Neuroradiologist
- Nicole Pietrobon, RN, Nurse Coordinator
The Alliance to Cure Cavernous Malformation is a patient research organization dedicated to informing, supporting, and mobilizing those impacted by CCMs and driving research for better treatments and a cure. Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is required to meet specific criteria to achieve CCM Clinical Center status including, but not limited to:
- Designating a medical director or co-directors
- Designating multidisciplinary board-certified specialists, including a cerebral neurosurgeon; a neurologist with cerebrovascular specialization or pediatric neurologist; an epileptologist; a neuroradiologist; a nurse coordinator; and a geneticist who all collaborate for the diagnosis and management of patients with CCM
- Meeting or exceeding all consensus guidelines approved by the Scientific Advisory Board
- Establishing a single point of entry, allowing all appointments to be scheduled with one call
- Providing coordinated appointments for patients over no more than two days, reducing the travel burden on out-of-town patients
- The complete list of criteria for a CCM Clinical Center is available on the Alliance to Cure
About Jefferson
Nationally ranked, Jefferson, which is principally located in the greater Philadelphia region and southern New Jersey, is reimagining health care and higher education to create unparalleled value. Jefferson is more than 43,000 people strong, dedicated to providing the highest-quality, compassionate clinical care for patients; making our communities healthier and stronger; preparing tomorrow’s professional leaders for 21st-century careers; and creating new knowledge through basic/programmatic, clinical and applied research. Thomas Jefferson University, home of Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, dates back to 1824 and today comprises 10 colleges and four schools offering 200 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 8,400 students. Jefferson Health, nationally ranked as one of the top health care systems in the country and the largest provider in the Philadelphia area, serves patients through millions of encounters each year at 18 hospitals and over 50 outpatient and urgent care locations throughout the region. Health Partners Plans is a not-for-profit managed health care organization providing a broad range of health coverage options in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for more than 35 years.
