PLASTIC SURGERY The year 2020 was exciting for the Division of Plastic Surgery despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Lauren Schmidtberg, PA-C, joined the division full-time and has made a huge impact. The office administration and staff have been reorganized, allowing the division to provide a more robust service line. Monique France, RN, has advanced to practice/nurse manager for Plastic Surgery/Craniofacial Team and Neurosurgery, and Jennifer Euen, RN, has taken over as clinical care coordinator of the Division of Plastic Surgery/Craniofacial Team. Clinical services have been expanded and new clinical pathways developed. Education is a priority of the division, and three of our trainees were accepted into plastic surgery residency programs and a large medical student Plastic Surgery interest group has been established. The Plastic Surgery division provides clinical services at Connecticut Children’s and at Hartford Hospital. Except for shutdowns related to the Covid-19 pandemic, our surgical volume has remained stable, and includes all types of plastic and reconstructive procedures. Our plastic surgeons frequently collaborate with other surgical specialists, providing state-of-theart multidisciplinary surgical care. Common surgical procedures performed include complex wound closures including flaps and grafts, craniofacial reconstruction, craniofacial fracture repair, cleft lip/ palate reconstruction, breast surgery/reconstruction, body contouring, skin/soft tissue tumor excision/repair, upper extremity/hand surgery/reconstruction, and cosmetic surgery/non-surgical cosmetic procedures. We have successfully implemented telehealth visits for consults and follow-up visits whenever necessary and appropriate. Ms. Schmidtberg, a physician’s assistant with extensive plastic and craniofacial experience, joined the division in January 2020, and she has helped to expand the services provided. The division has increased and streamlined the treatment of breast and chest wall deformities, as well as post-bariatric-surgery weight loss deformities. Ear molding for infants with protruding 130
ANNUAL ACADEMIC REPORT 2020
