The future of medicine is now at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center! Equipped with the latest in technologically advanced machines, the hospital is giving students the chance to be up close and personal with the latest innovative medical equipment. Summer school students at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) will actually have the opportunity to see live robotic surgery being performed at Beth Israel.

Back in 2007, students from middle schools, high schools, and colleges from across New Jersey were able to watch a live simulcast of a surgical robotic myomectomy being performed at Newark Beth Israel. Thanks to the use of videoconferencing technology, they were able to communicate with Dr. Michael Pitter, chief of Gynecological Robotic and Minimally Invasive Surgery and actually ask questions about the surgery while it was taking place!

Why did NJIT choose Newark Beth Israel? Our local hospital has the largest Robotic Training program in the northeast, where surgeons from around the world learn how to use advanced robotic-assisted surgical techniques. The Saint Barnabas Health Care System has more robots than any other system in the nation with the capability to perform more robotic-assisted surgeries.

NJIT is affiliated with the College of Computing Sciences (CCS) Capstone Open University, which provides students with an inside glimpse at the health care and medical professions. Osama Eljabiri, Senior University Lecturer and Director of Capstone Courses at NJIT said that through this program at Beth Israel, “we help our students re-define themselves, and understand their value. We are about a dramatic ‘culture change’ in high school and university education, a change exemplified by this exciting hands-on program held in cooperation with Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.”

On display at NJIT will be the da Vinci® Surgical System, which is used to perform surgeries in cardiac, adult and pediatric urology, gynecology, gynecologic surgery and general surgery. Physicians at Newark Beth Israel currently have currently performed over 1500 robotic surgery since 2003 and perform in more specialties than any facility in the nation. Students will have the unique opportunity to demo the robot themselves and learn how this remarkable piece of technology is enabling patients to return to their normal daily activities more quickly and without the bleeding, scarring and painful recuperation periods associated with traditional open surgeries.

“We are thrilled to show students at NJIT how technology is literally saving people’s lives,” says Darrell Terry, Vice President of Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. “The Beth wants to encourage their passion for science, technology and robots by demonstrating the wide range of opportunities out there in the field of health care technology.”

This was a very rare opportunity to experience the latest technology at Newark Beth Israel. NJIT expressed great thanks to Newark Beth Israel for the experience. For more information about robotic surgery performed at Newark Beth Israel, take a peek here.