St. Luke’s University Health Network trauma surgeon Stan Stawicki, MD, a champion of clinical trials and research, has been ranked among the world’s top-cited scientists.

“Research is all about making a difference,” he said. “Research is generating knowledge, so by doing clinical trials and by St. Luke’s being a major clinical trials center, we are able to make new discoveries and come up with innovative and better ways of treating our patients. In addition, by contributing to new medical knowledge, we are not only improving how we do things here at St. Luke’s, but also make it possible for other hospitals and systems to use these discoveries and knowledge.”

This fall, Dr. Stawicki was named to the Stanford University/Elsevier Top 2% Scientists list, placing him among the most frequently cited scientists in the world, according to the analysis from Stanford University and Elsevier.

He is currently involved as the principal investigator in a clinical trial with tissue adhesives, testing a new type of skin adhesive that could replace sutures. “It’s a whole new way of looking at wound closure,” he said. “We are fortunate as an institution to participate in this, and many other cutting edge clinical trials.”

Among his previous experiences, he took part in a clinical trial to determine how long antibiotics should be continued after a bowel perforation, a critical topic because there used to be many different – sometimes conflicting – approaches to length of treatment.

As a surgeon, Dr. Stawicki is particularly concerned with preventing infections and other operative complications in his patients. One study he did looked into ways to reduce adhesions in difficult abdominal surgeries when an abdomen needs to remain open for a few days. The study did find a way to reduce those adhesions.

He was also part of an international consortium that published COVID-19 guidelines.

“Research and clinical trials are a big responsibility because what we do directly affects how patients are managed,” Dr. Stawicki said. “As an investigator at St. Luke’s. I am responsible and sign a direct contract with the FDA. It’s on me to make sure that the data is honest. Everything must be conducted according to the regulations, with great attention to the study protocol. Our local team stays in constant communication with the other clinical trials teams around the country, and sometimes around the world. In other words, there are many constantly moving parts, and you always feel like you’re in the middle of action.”

Another study he did looked at antibiotic use in very severe open lower extremity fractures.

“Personally,” he said, “it’s very satisfying to be involved with clinical trials. You feel like you’re making a difference. There is also a bit of delayed gratification because when you go into it, you don’t know what you’re going to find. What is especially gratifying, not knowing what the outcome will be, is discovering later on that we end up making a difference for our patients.”

“Research is all about people,” emphasized Dr. Stawicki, “and we are very fortunate to have a world-class team of clinical trials professionals and investigators here at St. Luke’s. It’s something that truly sets us apart from many other institutions.

“Thinking local, I look at research as something that helps St. Luke’s make every day medical care better.”

 

About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 20,000 employees providing services at 15 campuses and 350+ outpatient sites.  With annual net revenue of $3.4 billion, the Network’s service area includes 11 counties in two states: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe, Schuylkill and Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey. St. Luke’s hospitals operate the largest network of trauma centers in Pennsylvania, with the Bethlehem Campus being home to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.

Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania.  In partnership with Temple University, the Network established the Lehigh Valley’s first and only four-year medical school campus.  It also operates the nation’s oldest School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 52 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with more than 500 residents and fellows. In 2022, St. Luke’s, a member of the Children’s Hospital Association, opened the Lehigh Valley’s first and only free-standing facility dedicated entirely to kids.

SLUHN is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system to earn Medicare’s five-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction.  It is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital.  The Network’s flagship University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from Fortune/PINC AI 10 years in a row, including in 2023 when it was identified as THE #4 TEACHING HOSPITAL IN THE COUNTRY.  In 2021, St. Luke’s was identified as one of the 15 Top Health Systems nationally.  Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.  The Network is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest-cost providers.

Information provided to TVL by:
Sam Kennedy