James Del Vecchio, MD
James Del Vecchio, MD, medical director and chairman of emergency services for Holy Cross Health, starts his drive to work at 6:30 a.m., and en route passes another hospital with a great Emergency Department. The commute is long. There are times when he asks himself why he doesn’t simply choose to work at a hospital closer to home.
Despite the commute, he finds he always has answers readily available to explain his commitment to Holy Cross Health. Dr. Del Vecchio has worked for Holy Cross Health for more than twenty years, starting immediately after completing his residency. “I have given a large investment of my time to Holy Cross Health over the years,” he says with pride. “I’m working with a health care system behind me that is personally and professionally supportive and makes it easier for me to do my job."
But the most compelling case that Dr. Del Vecchio makes about his commitment is the compassionate, quality care that it provides for everyone.
“What makes Holy Cross Health different is that they provide our most vulnerable patients with the medical and social care that they deserve,” Dr. Del Vecchio explains. “The patients that we discharge from the Emergency Center who are uninsured do not have the resources available to assure they can get the follow-up they need.
"Very often, these patients delay seeking medical attention because of a lack of ability to pay, and by the time they get to see me, their disease has progressed well beyond where it should have. They are also under significant stress related to employment, housing, financial issues, and the fact that often their family is living in another country. Their symptoms may be made more severe because of this stress and anxiety.
"Working at Holy Cross Health, I have absolute confidence that the uninsured patients I discharge get the excellent and timely follow-up care that they deserve at our community health centers. Staff will make sure patients make follow up appointments, help with financial assistance, calls to make sure that they get in to be seen. Holy Cross Health has invested the time and resources to assure that the medical and social needs of our community are met.”
In addition to the significant medical service he has committed Holy Cross Health, Dr. Del Vecchio and his wife have also been generous donors. “My wife and I contribute because we think it’s important to give back to our community. We are very lucky in Montgomery County – we have so much. We ask, 'Who is doing the most to help the greatest need? That's why we give to Holy Cross Health.”
He feels a deep satisfaction that only comes from knowing that the work you are doing has an impact that lasts after a patient walks out through the hospital doors back to their homes. “I can leave here every day very comfortable with the fact that we have created a safety net. Other institutions may have their financial impact as their number one driver. But the goal of financial stability for Holy Cross Health is to continue to serve our mission. We’re always striving to keep our doors open to the community.”
Despite the commute, he finds he always has answers readily available to explain his commitment to Holy Cross Health. Dr. Del Vecchio has worked for Holy Cross Health for more than twenty years, starting immediately after completing his residency. “I have given a large investment of my time to Holy Cross Health over the years,” he says with pride. “I’m working with a health care system behind me that is personally and professionally supportive and makes it easier for me to do my job."
But the most compelling case that Dr. Del Vecchio makes about his commitment is the compassionate, quality care that it provides for everyone.
“What makes Holy Cross Health different is that they provide our most vulnerable patients with the medical and social care that they deserve,” Dr. Del Vecchio explains. “The patients that we discharge from the Emergency Center who are uninsured do not have the resources available to assure they can get the follow-up they need.
"Very often, these patients delay seeking medical attention because of a lack of ability to pay, and by the time they get to see me, their disease has progressed well beyond where it should have. They are also under significant stress related to employment, housing, financial issues, and the fact that often their family is living in another country. Their symptoms may be made more severe because of this stress and anxiety.
"Working at Holy Cross Health, I have absolute confidence that the uninsured patients I discharge get the excellent and timely follow-up care that they deserve at our community health centers. Staff will make sure patients make follow up appointments, help with financial assistance, calls to make sure that they get in to be seen. Holy Cross Health has invested the time and resources to assure that the medical and social needs of our community are met.”
In addition to the significant medical service he has committed Holy Cross Health, Dr. Del Vecchio and his wife have also been generous donors. “My wife and I contribute because we think it’s important to give back to our community. We are very lucky in Montgomery County – we have so much. We ask, 'Who is doing the most to help the greatest need? That's why we give to Holy Cross Health.”
He feels a deep satisfaction that only comes from knowing that the work you are doing has an impact that lasts after a patient walks out through the hospital doors back to their homes. “I can leave here every day very comfortable with the fact that we have created a safety net. Other institutions may have their financial impact as their number one driver. But the goal of financial stability for Holy Cross Health is to continue to serve our mission. We’re always striving to keep our doors open to the community.”
“My wife and I contribute because we think it’s important to give back to our community. We ask, 'Who is doing the most to help the greatest need? That's why we give to Holy Cross Health.”
- James Del Vecchio, MD, Donor