Cooper University Hospital recently dedicated the Dr. Edward D. Viner Intensive Care Unit in the new hospital pavilion. This honor was bestowed on Dr. Viner for his many years of service to Cooper University Hospital and his dedication to his patients. It is the result of the generosity of many of Dr. Viner’s long time patients and friends, particularly Bernard and Shirlee Brown, who generously contributed to the ICU.
Dr. Viner, who is currently a practicing physician in Cooper’s Department of Medicine, serves as Chairman of the Cooper Foundation Board and is Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement. He has had an illustrious career in medicine. His career-long interest in intensive care stems from his personal experience as a critically ill ICU patient in 1972.
From 1987 through 2006, he served as Chief of Medicine at Cooper and prior to that spent 22 years as the Head of Hematology/Oncology at Pennsylvania Hospital. He has been the physician for The Philadelphia Orchestra for over 40 years and was the Philadelphia Flyers team physician.
He has received many honors over the years. Most notably, he is a Laureate of the NJ Chapter of the American College of Physicians and was presented the prestigious designation of Master of the American College of Physicians. He is the first physician to hold the Dr. Edward D. Viner Chair for the Chief of Medicine at Cooper.
Dr. Viner has been nationally recognized as a “Best Doctor” and been noted as a “Top Doc” in the Delaware Valley for numerous years.
Research has always been a passion and he has received funding from The National Cancer Institute and has served on a number of national committees, as well as authored medical publications and book chapters. Dr. Viner is respected by his students and patients alike.
Cooper’s new ICU is composed of 30 private, enclosed 300 square foot glass-door patient rooms with windows to provide natural light. The new configuration and technical enhancements include:
- An advanced nurse call system including remote patient monitoring
- Nurse work stations located between every room
- 360 degree access to the patient
- Family seating areas and caregiver areas in each room
- Internet access in family waiting areas
- A satellite pharmacy
- Private consultation rooms
- Four physician on-call rooms in the center of the ICU
- Rolling portable computers for nurses in each room
- Spacious ICU elevator
Dr. Viner expressed his sincere appreciation at the dedication ceremony. “I am much honored to have this incredible state-of-the-art Intensive Care Unit dedicated in my name,” he said. “I was once a patient in an ICU and will never forget that life changing experience. The care provided to patients here by dedicated Cooper medical experts will change the lives of many by giving them another chance at life. There is no greater gift we can give to our critically ill patients. “