Anatomy Education at Prep

The Campaign for St. Francis Prep: The Next 150

New York-Presbyterian, Queens Awards Generous Grant to St. Francis Prep for a “Virtual Anatomy Table”

Building on the foundation of St. Francis Prep’s outstanding curriculum, and thanks to a $100,000 grant from New York Presbyterian-Queens, our award-winning Science Department will now be equipped with the Anatomage Table — the world’s first virtual dissection table that provides a hands-on visualization tool for students in anatomy and biology courses. Students will be able to see the interior of the human body and perform “operations” on over 1,000 virtual cadavers.

This life-size 3-D interactive table is today’s most technologically advanced digital visualization system for anatomy education. It provides the most realistic view of human anatomy. It is both a virtual library of human and animal cadavers, as well as a clinical diagnostic tool by visualization of any Medical CT, CBCT or MRI scan.

All of the images provided with the table are from actual human bodies, not 3-D simulations or computer-generated models.

And, what makes this even more compelling is the fact that there are only a few hundred tables in use in the thousands of colleges and high schools in the U.S. and around the world!

Individual structures are reconstructed in accurate 3-D, resulting in an unprecedented level of accurate anatomy, dissectible in 3-D. The Anatomage Table allows for exploration and learning of human anatomy beyond what any cadaver could offer.

The Anatomage Table is the most technologically advanced 3-D anatomy visualization system for anatomy and physiology education and it will be used by students at St. Francis Prep. It is being adopted by many of the world’s leading medical schools and institutions because of innovative approach to anatomy presentation. Users can visualize anatomy exactly as they would on a cadaver.

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The SFP Science Department now has the most advanced instructional Anatomy Education equipment

St. Francis Prep graduates have a long, storied history of academic achievements across many disciplines. Prep alumni are included among the ranks of distinguished and noteworthy writers, actors, composers, artists, athletes/coaches, business/finance leaders, legal and medical professionals. In the area of science, our Science Research Program students have achieved an impressive record of being named Intel Science Talent Research Semi- Finalists 12 times since 1999.

In 2015, the Prep’s Science Department

labs and classrooms underwent an impressive “floor to ceiling” modernization as part of the Prep’s Capital Improvement and Modernization Program that is funded by The Campaign for St. Francis Prep. The end result was five state-of-the art classrooms and labs. “We have incredible new facilities and a very dedicated faculty. The addition of the Anatomage table will greatly enhance student discovery and revolutionize the classroom experience for our students” according to Kim Istrico, Science Department chairperson.

One of the five recently renovated science classrooms.

COMING BACK AND GIVING BACK: Robert T. Blenderman PA, MBA • St. Francis Prep Class of 1997

St. Francis Prep Class of 1997 graduate, Robert Blenderman PA, MBA, Chief Operating Officer, New York Presbyterian, Queens (second from left) presents Prep’s Principal, Patrick McLaughlin with a $100,000 grant for the purchase of the Anatomage Table. Also pictured, SFP Development Director, Robert Angeletti (left) and Brother Robert Kent, OSF, Prep’s Alumni Director (right).

At the start of the 2017-18 school year, NY-Presbyterian Hospital, Queens Chief Operating Officer, Robert “Bob” Blenderman ‘97 met with SFP Principal, Patrick McLaughlin. Bob’s goal was to forge a partnership program that would introduce students to the many career options in health care. The students will be able to connect with preceptors at the hospital who could serve as mentors through its Health Care Discovery Program. Coincidentally, this program’s model is very similar to the way Bob began his career —he was encouraged by a teacher to volunteer at the hospital. It was during that time he discovered what

a Physician Assistant does each day. The experience captured his interest and led him to nearby St. John’s University where he would major in Physician Assistant (PA) studies, and eventually become a certified PA.

As he progressed in his career in medicine, his leadership abilities emerged, and he gradually took on greater responsibilities. In 2017, Bob was named Chief Operating Officer (COO) of New York Presbyterian- Queens —the very building where his interest in health care began decades earlier as a volunteer.

As COO, Bob oversees operations, strategy, emergency management, patient flow and hospital safety. Bob is eager to help the current generation of Terriers learn more about careers in health care and have access to the best instructional equipment. “If you pause for a moment to think about it, Bob launched himself into the career path he is on today when he was a youngster and he’s returned to his alma mater to help the current generation of Prepsters attain the same success he’s had. We are so very grateful for this support” said, Robert Angeletti, the Prep’s Director of Development.

Prep’s Principal, Patrick McLaughlin said, “Having an Anatomage Table will provide new educational opportunities

for hundreds of SFP students in the near term and serve as preparation for their college studies. We are very grateful to NY Presbyterian Hospital- Queens and to Bob Blenderman for considering St. Francis Prep and its students worthy of this generous grant. It’s just another example ofour incredible alumni coming back and giving back.”

Above: The Queens Courier covered the news of the Prep students’ November 13 th participation in the Health Care Discovery Program. Mrs. Istrico’s AP Biology students and Mrs. Rich’s Anatomy and Physiology students attended the program.

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