John Heim, MD - Thoracic Surgeon
John A. Heim, M.D. Thoracic Surgeon John A. Heim, M.D., a board-certified thoracic surgeon, recently joined Frankford Hospitals’
Department of Surgery as Head of the Section of Thoracic Surgery. Dr. Heim comes to Frankford from the Virtua Health System
and Our Lady of Lourdes in South Jersey, where he practiced cardiothoracic surgery for over 10 years. Dr. Heim’s clinical
interests include the surgical treatment of all thoracic cancers. In his new role, he will be working closely in a cooperative
manner with Frankford’s Departments of Radiation Oncology, Medical Oncology, Pulmonary Medicine and Gastroenterology. Dr.
Heim earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Ramapo College of New Jersey, in Mahwah, NJ, in 1981. He went on to receive
a Doctor of Medicine degree from the UMDNJ – New Jersey Medical School, in Newark, NJ, in 1985.
Bernadette Profeta, MD - General Surgeon
A new addition to Frankford's Department of Surgery, Dr. Bernadette Profeta is a general surgeon with special expertise in
the laparoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, achalasia, hiatal hernia repair, colon resections, solid organ
removal, ventral and inguinal hernia repair.
Her research interests include gastrointestinal motility/reflux disorders, bariatrics, and optimizing advanced minimally invasive
skills utilizing virtual reality/video training devices.
Dr. Profeta's training includes a general surgical internship and residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and a
fellowship in advanced laparoscopic surgery at the Medical College of Virginia. During her fellowship, she served as an instructor
for a number of Minimally Invasive Mini-Fellowship courses. Dr. Profeta earned her undergraduate degree from St. Joseph's
University and medical degree from Jefferson Medical College. She is a member of the American College of Surgeons and the
Pennsylvania Medical Society.
Jennifer Simmons, MD - Breast Surgeon
Also new to Frankford's Department of Surgery is Dr. Jennifer Simmons who specializes in the treatment of diseases of the
breast. Her areas of expertise include minimally invasive biopsies, skin sparing mastectomies, sentinel lymph node procedures,
as well as the management and care for the patient with breast cancer. Her research interests include the clinical investigation
of biological markers and how they may be used towards the very early detection of many common cancers. In addition, she is
involved in the investigation of the treatment of DCIS by surgery alone.
Dr. Simmons' training includes residencies in general surgery at both Christiana Care Health System, Newark, Delaware, and
Albany Medical Center, Albany, New York. She served as the Chief Resident in general surgery at Albany Medical Center from
July 2002 to July 2003. Dr. Simmons most recently completed a fellowship in breast surgery and oncology at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital. In this role, she received training in radiation oncology, breast pathology and medical oncology. Through
this position, she also had the opportunity to gain exceptional skill at interpreting mammography, ultrasound and MRI, and
performing minimally invasive breast biopsies at Jefferson's Breast Imaging Center. Dr. Simmons earned her undergraduate degree
from Temple University, a post-baccalaureate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and her medical degree from Jefferson
Medical College. She is a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the
American Medical Association (AMA).
Drs. Profeta and Simmons maintain offices in both Northeast Philadelphia and Bucks County:
Frankford Hospital - Torresdale Campus
Medical Office Building, Suite 235
Philadelphia, PA 19114
215-632-3630
Bucks County Office
402 Middletown Boulevard, Suite 212
Langhorne, PA 19047
215-750-6010
Dr. Heim maintains an office at Frankford Hospital - Torresdale:
Frankford Hospital - Torresdale
Knights & Red Lion Roads
Medical Office Building, Suite
Philadelphia, PA 19114
Published: 6-15-2004
