What's New

• Dr. Jeffrey M. Jacobson was quoted in an article, "Progenics Announces Progress and Presentations in HIV Therapy Program," published on Trading Markets.com and Business Wire.com.
• Dr. Mashiul Chowdhury, Director of the TravelHealth Center, is featured in the July Drexel Medcast
• We are proud to announce that Dr. Jeffrey Jacobson, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, is one of 44 physicians from Drexel University College of Medicine that have been named to this year’s Best Doctors in America^® list.

About Our Division

The prevention and control of infectious diseases is a critical component for protecting the health of any community. The global economy, international travel, and migration all contribute to the potential for infectious diseases to spread to new populations. In the U.S., the CDC reports that 160,000 Americans die each year with an infectious disease as the underlying cause of death, and infectious illnesses account for 25% of all physician visits each year. In addition, there are currently an estimated one million individuals in the U.S. with HIV, with 40,000 more people being infected every year.

The Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine comprises several clinical and research programs which provide both treatment and prevention of infectious diseases, including HIV. Under the direction of Division Chief Jeffrey M. Jacobson, M.D., the division is expanding the translational research program, and investigating cutting-edge technologies and therapeutic treatments for the management and prevention of HIV and other infectious diseases. The infectious disease specialists in this division work closely with DUCOM’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology in researching new treatments and vaccines for HIV and other infectious diseases. The division also collaborates with the School of Public Health on programs to educate our patients and the public about disease prevention and management.

Clinical Practice - Infectious Diseases

Infection control is one important part of our infectious disease work. Infection control refers to the policies, procedures, and activities which intend to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases. Protecting patients in healthcare environments, such as hospitals, from contracting infections is an integral part of the work of Drexel University College of Medicine physicians, as more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. each year are caused by healthcare-acquired infections.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a large component of infection prevention and control as well. According to CDC estimates, 19 million new STIs occur each year – half of them among young people ages 15 to 24. If untreated, STIs can lead to serious consequences in men and women, including infertility. In addition, individuals with STIs are at more likely to acquire HIV if they are exposed to the virus through sexual contact.

The division’s Travel Health Clinic, one of the region’s only official yellow fever vaccination sites, provides immunizations, antibiotics, and personalized health advice to travelers from the university and throughout the city.

The division’s infectious disease specialists provide daily consultations to Hahnemann University Hospital, a 636-bed acute care teaching hospital which is part of Tenet Health System. They also provide clinical consultations to other medical practices in the community. The division’s physicians serve as faculty for the program’s infectious disease fellowship program.

Clinical Practice - HIV Medicine

The division's HIV clinical site, the Partnership Comprehensive Care Practice (Partnership), is the largest adult HIV care center in the region, serving more than 1,400 men and women. Founded in 1993, the Partnership's mission is "to enhance the quality of life for persons with HIV/AIDS by providing comprehensive, integrated HIV care to all individuals regardless of their ability to pay." The Partnership provides one-stop shopping for its patients, including primary and specialty HIV medical care, gynecological care, prenatal care, nutrition assessment, case management, pharmacy services, phlebotomy and laboratory services, psychiatric and behavioral health services, substance abuse treatment, HIV support groups, health educational programs, and rapid HIV testing.

The Partnership also has two satellite practices: one at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children (SCHC) and one at Kensington Hospital. Our HIV specialists are skilled at managing HIV throughout the life cycle, as well as patients’ co-morbidities, such as diabetes and Hepatitis C. Experts in the PCCP's prenatal clinic work with HIV-infected women to prevent mother to child transmission, with a 0% transmission rate to date. The division's rapid HIV testing programs have screened more than 2,500 patients for HIV.