Acute Care Surgery

About the Division of Acute Care Surgery

Murray J. Cohen, MD, FACS

Director, Division of Acute Care Surgery

Academic Title: Associate Professor

Board Certifications:
Surgery, Surgical Critical Care

Jefferson's Division of Acute Care Surgery makes up the all-important surgical portion of Jefferson's Level 1 Regional Resource Trauma Center. Working closely with emergency medicine specialists, our trauma surgeons provide expert surgical critical care, emergency surgery services, trauma care and elective general surgery.

Our experienced emergency surgeons are board certified in general surgery and surgical critical care. They are on duty around the clock to perform procedures and to treat such time-sensitive conditions as:

• Complicated appendicitis
• Neurogenic shock
• Necrotizing soft tissue infections
• Massive debridements
• Acute respiratory distress syndromes
• Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome
• Perforated viscus
• Solid organ injury
• Intestinal and colonic obstructions
• Abscesses
• Severe pancreatitis
• Post-operative complications

Our Facilities

We have an extensive facility including the Emergency Department, Emergency Department Operating Rooms, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Neuroscience/Neurosensory Intensive Care Unit and air and ground transport including a Helicopter/Helipad service provided by JeffSTAT.

Our adult critical care unit has 108 critical care beds allowing us to accommodate even more requests from referring physicians and neighboring hospitals. The Division of Acute Care Surgery admits approximately 1,500 trauma patients and performs approximately 1,000 emergency operations a year.

After surgery, you will receive care in our state-of-the-art surgical ICU from Jefferson nurses who have received prestigious MAGNET® recognition for nursing excellence.

Research and Education

The Division is placing a renewed emphasis on research by undertaking several clinical trials and studies. In trauma, for example, the group is looking at new methods of stabilization, prevention studies and resuscitation. Faculty members are also studying abdominal wall outcomes and developing new protocols, while working with industry representatives on device implementation. Research projects include multidisciplinary collaborations with Jefferson colleagues in rehabilitation and orthopedics.

Visit the Acute Care Surgery Division at Thomas Jefferson University for more on research and education.