ALEXANDRIA – Luigi Castello, Ivrea, born in 1974, is the new head physician of the university-run structure of Internal Medicine of the Alessandria Hospital. Graduated with full marks in Pavia, in 2005 he obtained the title of Specialist in Internal Medicine (grade 70/70 with honors) at the School of Specialization in Internal Medicine of the University of Eastern Piedmont, carrying out laboratory research and clinical research, obtaining in 2006 the title of University Researcher at the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (which later became the Department of Translational Medicine) of the Eastern Piedmont University. The assistance activity takes place within the “Maggiore della Carità” University Hospital of Novara, where it has an agreement from 2006 to 2010 in the Internal Medicine 1 department and, in the following years, at the Acceptance Medicine and Surgery of Emergency where he held various positions, including responsibilities, including in 2019 that of Head of the Simple Emergency Medicine Structure. In 2020, during the pandemic, he creates and directs a semi-intensive care unit completely dedicated to Covid. Regarding the teaching activity, prof. Castello holds various positions: vice-president of the Degree Course of Medicine and Surgery, director of the 1st level Master in Emergency Medicine and Critical Area for nurses, secretary of the School of Specialization in Emergency and Emergency Medicine. In addition, he is involved as a teacher in various degree courses, specialization courses and higher education training courses.
“I am particularly pleased to greet prof. Castle – declares the general manager Walter Alpe – who arrives in our hospital as director in one of the two university-run structures in agreement with the University of Eastern Piedmont, in harmony with the latest company deed approved by the Piedmont Region. The choice of the Medicine facility motivated by various factors: first of all, it is a fundamental ward for our patients, who will be able to find an answer here to the numerous pathologies treated. Secondly, efficient medicine reduces waiting times for hospitalization from the emergency room. Furthermore, this is the first formative moment that medical students have to face: counting on the presence of an expert teacher facilitates not only assistance, but also training courses. I am sure that this path, shared with the Rector Avanzi, represents a value on several fronts. Good job to prof. Castello, aware that the challenge is complex but to the benefit of the community “.
The Rector of the University of Eastern Piedmont Gian Carlo Avanzi he claims: “The appointment of Professor Luigi Castello as director of the university-led structure of Internal Medicine of the Alessandria Hospital is part of a very broad collaboration project between the University of Eastern Piedmont and the “Santi Antonio e Biagio e Cesare” hospital. Arrigo ”of Alessandria aimed at pursuing the training objectives of the students of the degree course in Medicine and Surgery and of the other Health Professions. In particular, I would like to underline the importance of this structure as a pillar of medical training, especially practical; Professor Castello, given his great skills and over ten years of experience in the clinical-university field, represents the best from the point of view of human resources the University could invest in this direction “.
As regards the research activities, prof. Castello from 2009 is head of a translational research group, is part of the working group that collaborates in the realization of the Excellence Project on AGING of the Department of Translational Medicine. He has also worked on several projects related to the study of sepsis (both through the collection of biological samples from patients recruited in prospective studies and through the use of the animal model “cecal ligation and puncture” and with endothelial cell culture models in vitro ), head trauma, electrolyte alterations (in particular hyponatremia), bleeding, especially related to anticoagulant therapy and haemodynamic alterations in the course of heart failure.
“The management of the Medicine structure is a compelling challenge and of great responsibility, for the assistance activity that I am called to carry out, for that of teaching and for research“Said the director Castello”the teaching department and clinical research are closely connected, the presence of students who will have to practice to identify the problems of the patient is a constant stimulus for improvement. One of the priorities that I would like to address is that of making medicine available to reduce boarding time, i.e. the prolonged stay of patients already evaluated and waiting for the place, which determines a considerable absorption of operational resources especially within the services of emergency of second level DEA headquarters, just like Alessandria. I am enthusiastic about this opportunity, my first goal is to be at the service of the community that uses this hospital, as well as the students who study here, to whom I would like to offer the maximum commitment for their training, also through training courses with simulation in Royal flush. I found great openness and collaboration on the part of all my colleagues and other directors, with whom I hope to ‘team up’ in the shortest time. Thanks to the Rector Avanzi and the Director Alpe for their trust ”.
The structure of Medicine, together with that of Hematology, is the first to be entrusted to a professor from the University of Eastern Piedmont, with a view to making the Alessandria Hospital an increasingly qualified center of higher education.