Bonnie Rabinowitch, M.D., has joined the medical staff of Delaware County Memorial Hospital, where she will serve as chief of the Section of Infectious Disease.

“I am very pleased to be joining the staff of a hospital with such a strong commitment to its community,” Rabinowitch says. “I have the greatest respect for the physicians and staff of DCMH and am looking forward to being a part of the fabric of Delaware County.”

After achieving success in her first career as an English teacher for the Philadelphia School District, Rabinowitch began a career in medicine at age 35. A graduate of Jefferson Medical School, she completed fellowships at Washington Hospital Center and the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and was on staff at Presbyterian Medical Center and Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia before coming to DCMH.

“I was very impressed by DCMH’s dedication to the health of its patients and its ability to continuously reinvest in new equipment and programs,” she says. “I also felt very at home here — I hit it off with the staff immediately.”

Rabinowitch succeeds Joan C. Waller, M.D., as chief of the Section of Infectious Disease at DCMH. Waller retired in July.

“It will be very hard to fill Dr. Waller’s shoes,” Rabinowitch notes. “She built a wonderful department here at DCMH.”

Among Rabinowitch’s goals as chief is to increase awareness of infection control.

“The government is very interested in infection control, and is taking a look at hospital-acquired infections across the country,” she says. “While the problem is not 100 percent avoidable, it can be alleviated through the use of safety devices and personal protective equipment. I’d like to become involved in educating the staff about the benefits of infection control.”

Rabinowitch is also concerned about the increasing prevalence of drug-resistant bacteria and other organisms.

“The subject of drug-resistant bacteria is one of the hottest topics in the news today,” she says. “By looking more carefully at our usage of antibiotics, we can help reduce the spread of drug-resistant organisms.”

Rabinowitch is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the American Board of Internal Medicine/Infectious Diseases and the National Board of Medical Examiners. She is a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Drexel University School of Medicine and has published several works.

In addition to heading the Section of Infectious Disease, Rabinowitch joins a successful infectious disease and travel medicine practice at DCMH. The practice, which includes Waller, Malini Stalam, M.D., and Jackeline Iacovella, M.D., offers vaccinations, medications and advice to travelers, and treats patients with such infectious diseases as HIV and Lyme disease and non-healing wounds.
 
For more information about infectious disease or travel medicine, or to schedule an appointment with Rabinowitch, Waller, Stalam or Iacovella, call (610) 622-8900.