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Michael Benninghoff, DO, MS
Section Chief for Medical Critical Care
Expertise & Research Interests
- Pulmonology
- Coronavirus treatment
- Critical Care Medicine
- Intensive Care Medicine
Education
- Masters of Science, Biomedical Sciences and Physiology, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Bachelor's Degree, biology and natural sciences, Muhlenberg College
Michael Benninghoff, DO, MS
Section Chief for Medical Critical Care
Dr. Michael Benninghoff oversees one of the nation's leading and busiest hospital intensive care units. Dr. Benninghoff is joined ChristianaCare in 2008 and is currently the Section Chief for Medical Critical Care, medical director for the Christiana Hospital medical intensive care unit as well as Respiratory Care dept. He serves as co-chair of the Medical Emergency Response Committee and Pulmonary Embolism Response Committee and chairs the Critical Care Committee. He has been recognized for research, teaching/education and leadership on many occasions over the last decade plus here at ChristianaCare. He was recently named to serve on the Gift Of Life Medical Advisory and Policy Board for years 2020-2023.
Dr. Benninghoff graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa. with a bachelor’s degree in biology and natural sciences before attending Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine to complete his masters of science in biomedical sciences and physiology. Dr. Benninghoff continued his medical education at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine earning his medical degree in 2001. During his internal medicine residency at Abington Memorial Hospital in Abington, Pa., he served as chief resident in his third year. He went on to complete a pulmonary/critical care fellowship at Penn State College of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pa. in 2005.
Dr. Benninghoff is board certified in internal medicine, critical care medicine and pulmonary medicine. His professional memberships include; American College of Chest Physicians, Society of Critical Care Medicine, American College of Physicians, American Osteopathic Association and the American Thoracic Society and PERT Consortium.
Experience
COVID In Delaware: ChristianaCare Joins National Campaign Sending Simple But Powerful Message About Mask-Wearing
This national campaign aims at getting everyone to mask up, and a local hospital is boosting that message.
Delaware health care workers put themselves at greater risk to provide extra care
Dr. Michael Benninghoff, medical director for Christiana Hospital's medical intensive care unit, said their team believes they have an "adequate number" of ventilators, ICU beds and other necessary supplies, including personal protective gear, for the coming weeks.
State officials have echoed these sentiments, noting that Delaware's current hospitalization rate – even if it grew slightly – appears maintainable for the next five to seven days. Alternate care sites have been readied to take non-coronavirus patients, should a surge overwhelm hospitals.
Keeping those on the front lines healthy brings additional challenges.
Delaware hospitals have fewer and fewer COVID-19 patients
Pescatore and Dr. Mike Benninghoff, who heads intensive care at ChristianaCare, the state’s largest hospital system, aren’t proclaiming victory, though.
With no vaccine approved yet, they warn that with the fall flu season fast approaching and a resurgence of the pandemic predicted, hospital beds and ICU units could again fill up rapidly.
“I’m more worried about the flu because the flu looks just like COVID-19,” Benninghoff said. “All these viral pneumonias look very familiar, and I’m concerned that there’s gonna be some kind of cross-pollination, perhaps not just coronavirus getting worse as they reopen things, whether it be college, high school, or they allow people to gather in a larger fashion.”
If people stop practicing physical distancing and wearing masks or “aren’t using common sense,’’ Benninghoff said, “then absolutely, because of the asymptomatic carrier stage, it could spread through a whole group of people really fast.”
Benninghoff said he’s constantly reviewing hospital admissions for COVID-19 “to prepare for what may be inevitable. So we have our guard up there.”
Pescatore agreed.
- American College of Chest Physicians
- Society of Critical Care Medicine
- American College of Physicians
- American Osteopathic Association
- American Thoracic Society
- PERT Consortium
Michael Benninghoff, DO, MS
Section Chief for Medical Critical Care
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