Yale New Haven Health Lawrence + Memorial Hospital has enhanced its cadre of surgeons over recent months and the collective skills of the team in its new Yale Medicine General Surgery multi-specialty group should give referring physicians and patients confidence that the highest quality and safest care – including robotics and minimally invasive techniques – are available close to home.
“The new Yale Medicine team we have assembled is really giving southeastern Connecticut a strong and comprehensive array of the most advanced general surgery options,” said Geoffrey Nadzam, MD, chief of Surgery at L+M Hospital. “We believe these outstanding surgeons should give our patients the greatest of confidence in their local hospital.”
The new surgeons on the Yale Medicine team include, in alphabetical order, Jonathan Blancaflor, MD, a general surgeon specializing in minimally invasive robotic techniques; Stephanie Joyce, MD, a trauma surgeon and surgical intensivist; George Yavorek, MD, a colorectal specialist, and Randal Zhou, MD, a specialist in bariatrics, weight-loss and other minimally invasive surgeries. Dr. Nadzam also specializes in bariatric surgeries.
L+M Hospital, of course, also has surgeons specializing in orthopedics, neurosurgery, urology, vascular surgery, plastic surgery, gynecologic surgery, as well as other surgical subspecialties.
“I get a real sense of esprit de corps with this team,” said Dr. Blancaflor who joined L+M in January following a 31-year career as a private practice surgeon, primarily with Middlesex Hospital. “Here at L+M, there’s a sense that everyone is focused on helping each other with quality improvement, which is what you need to move forward with the best patient care. I’m excited to be here.”
Dr. Joyce joined L+M last year, and her trauma specialty means that she can perform complex operations when people are hurt in accidents, she can handle other emergent medical conditions requiring surgery, and she routinely follows up on patients, helping manage their care while they recover in the Intensive Care Unit.
“Eventually, our goal is to build a full trauma program at L+M so that we don’t have to send as many patients to the York Street campus in New Haven,” Dr. Joyce said. “If a patient can be safely managed here, we’re going to keep them in their community. That’s the goal – and it’s also good for our health system because, if we can keep someone in their own community, it allows someone who may be sicker to get that bed at York Street.”
Dr. Yavorek specializes in benign and malignant diseases of the colon, rectum and anus. He has been performing minimally invasive colorectal surgery for 25 years and has a special interest in robotic surgery for colon and rectal cancers. Most recently, Dr. Yavorek was site director of colon and rectal surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital’s Saint Raphael Campus and he holds the role of medical director of colon and rectal surgery at L+M Hospital.
“It is invigorating to be working with this group of dedicated and talented surgeons,” Dr. Yavorek said. “Together as a team we can provide the high level of specialty surgical care found in the Yale Health System to the patients in this region and that’s very satisfying.”
Dr. Zhou said he is also excited to be part of the new team at L+M. “Always with the patient’s priorities in mind, I am excited to partner with other health care professionals to offer state-of-the-art health care and procedures right near their doorsteps,” Dr. Zhou said. A graduate of Rush Medical College, Dr. Zhou said he has always appreciated the “selfless and talented mentors” he learned from during his many years of training. “From that solid foundation, I continue to embrace technology and the search for new, effective and safe techniques to treat my patients,” he said.
Summing up the attitude of many on the team, Dr. Zhou added that, ultimately, the focus of any surgery is for the betterment of the patient. “My biggest gratification derives from the satisfied look on my patients’ faces as we, as a team, solve a surgical problem using the most evidenced-based and least invasive methods,” Dr. Zhou said. “I understand that undergoing surgery is a difficult and nerve-racking process and I strive to minimize the patients’ pain and restore their autonomy to the best of my abilities.”