Specialty Programs » Diagnostic Medicine Careers

Diagnostic Medicine Careers

The Diagnostic Medicine Careers program provides exposure and preparation to various medical professions including college level pre-med studies, using state-of-the-art equipment and computer research in laboratory analyses for the diagnosis and treatment of disease and maintenance of health. 
Topics in the curriculum include infection control, assisting in physical examinations, urinalysis, ECG/EKG testing, venipuncture, physiotherapy, patient reception, appointments scheduling, office safety, telephone and written communication, ​medical insurance, and office ​management.
​​With a focus on clinical and administrative applications, this hands-on course provides students with the following industry certifications:
  • Certified Health Career Association (NHA)Testing Site
  • Certified Clinical Medical Assistant
  • Certified Electrocardiogram Technician
  • Certified Electronic Health Record Specialist
  • Certified Phlebotomist Technician.
  • First Aid for Severe Trauma Certification
  • Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification
  • Students have the opportunity to intern at the New York-Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center for Surgery, Trauma & Emergency Medicine program.
 
Certified Health Career Association (NHA)Testing Site

Cohen Children’s Medical Center Celebrates its First Pediatric Heart Transplant

Justin Cauthen w/ crowd celebrating
Cohen Children’s Medical Center celebrated its first pediatric heart transplant on May 21. Justin Cauthen, a 17-year-old from Jamaica, Queens, received a new heart on March 28, just weeks after the hospital received approval from the state to start performing the procedure.
 

Justin was visiting his primary care doctor at Northwell Health Cohen Children’s General Pediatrics at New Hyde Park, located at 410 Lakeville Road, in early March. Anchara Vivek, MD, and Medical Assistant Lorena Idrovo took Justin’s vitals and saw something was wrong. They immediately sent him to the emergency department at Cohen Children’s Medical Center, setting off Justin’s journey.

 

“The physicians and nurses here at Cohen Children’s Medical Center have done fantastic work, and I’m so pleased to see Justin making an amazing recovery,” said Charles Schleien, MD, senior vice president and chair of pediatric services at CCMC. “We have been working for years to bring pediatric heart transplants to Long Island, and I know Justin’s story is just the first of many to come.”

The logistics of a pediatric heart transplant

Coordinating a heart transplant is a massive undertaking. After a donor is identified, the organ must be packed for transport and flown to Cohen Children’s Medical Center. During that time, doctors begin the operation on the patient. Timing is crucial – the donor organ cannot wait very long, so the patient has to be undergoing surgery to have their heart removed while the organ is in transit. “Organ transplants are some of the most complex operations in healthcare,” said Nabil Dagher, MD, senior vice president and director of Northwell’s Transplant Institute. “But being able to give people, especially children, a new lease on life makes all of the incredible work our doctors and nurses do worth it. At Northwell, we’re dedicated to providing the best transplant care possible.”

 

Justin’s procedure was a success, and he began working on regaining his strength and mobility shortly after his operation. He is getting more of his life back every day.

 

“I want to thank the team at this hospital. Because without them, I’m not sure I would have made it to today,” Justin said. “This new heart is amazing. I feel stronger, I feel better. More like myself. I get to go home and enjoy my life again.”

 

“He was the first patient to receive a new heart here,” said Jamel Cauthen, Justin’s father. “I wasn't sure at first. But when I spoke with the doctors and saw how transparent they are, they earned my confidence and my trust. They walked me through step-by-step. I was here to stay every night with him through the whole ordeal. I was here throughout the days. They allowed me to also take on some of the responsibility of caretaking, giving him his medicines, and pushing me. They allowed me to put on a mask and participate. You know, I felt helpless and didn't know what to do, and because of those things, it allowed me to contribute what I can.”

Cohen Children’s Medical Center is the first pediatric heart transplant program available on Long Island. According to data from the United Network of Organ Sharing, 55% of all pediatric heart transplants that happen in New York state are within CCMC’s service area.

Cohen Children’s Medical Center Performs its First Pediatric Heart Transplant

 
                                                           
Cohen Children’s Medical Center (CCMC) performed its first pediatric heart transplant on March 28, just weeks after receiving approval from the state. The procedure was the first of its kind performed on Long Island.
 

he procedure was performed on a child from Queens who came to the hospital in March with acute heart failure. He was stabilized with the emergency use of a heart-lung bypass machine, and after a thorough evaluation, the Pediatric Heart Transplant Team determined he needed a new heart to survive. “This operation was the culmination of years of hard, dedicated, work,” said Charles Schleien, MD, senior vice president and chair of pediatric services at CCMC. “I am continually astounded by the miracles the physicians at Cohen Children’s Medical Center perform every day. Our amazing team of heart transplant specialists has given this patient a new lease on life, and he is just the first of many more to come.” The transplant was performed by Timothy Martens, MD, PhD, surgical director of pediatric heart transplant, and took seven hours.