Dr. James Ley was born and raised in a suburb of Philadelphia. After high school, he studied at Pillsbury College, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies, Greek, and Pastoral Studies. In 1983, Dr. Ley received a B.S. degree in Chemistry and Biology at West Chester University. He continued his education at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine at Hershey Medical Center, where he earned his M.D. degree in 1987. Dr. Ley returned to Philadelphia for his Internal Medicine residency at Pennsylvania Hospital, followed by an Infectious Disease Fellowship, completed in 1992, at The University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Highlights of his medical education included training electives in Kenya and Uganda, which provided experience in both tropical medicine and mission’s work. His interest in missions also led him to provide general medical care for residents at a faith-based drug rehab center in Philadelphia.

Dr. Ley came to the Delmarva area in 1992, establishing medical practice at Union Hospital in Elkton, Christiana Hospital, Wilmington Hospital, and Saint Francis Hospital. Now in his 25th year of practice, Dr. Ley is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and maintains certification in Infectious Diseases by The American Board of Internal Medicine. Additionally, he is credentialed by Healogics Wound Care for wound care treatment. Since 1999, he has been a wound care physician; previously at Christiana Care and currently at The Union Hospital Would Care Center. Dr. Ley has also served as Chair of Medicine at Union Hospital, and in 2014, he was honored with the Physician of the Year award, by the Union Hospital medical staff. Since 1992, he has treated tuberculosis patients, as chest clinic physician for the Cecil County Health Department.

Dr. Ley is married and has two children. When he is not working, he enjoys fishing, hiking, volunteer work at his church, playing the piano, organ, accordion, and singing.
Dr. Wesley Emmons practiced internal medicine for 4 years before completing an Infectious Diseases Fellowship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda MD. After serving a 1 year stint as a co-instructor at the US Navy’s Tropical Medicine School in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he did a 6 year tour as the Infectious Diseases and HIV Division Head at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth VA. During his 13 years as a Naval physician, he lived in Puerto Rico and Cairo Egypt, and did tours of duty in Brazil and the Dominican Republic; his overseas experience allowed him to qualify and pass the ASTMH’s Certificate of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Traveler’s Health.He is a Fellow of the ACP and has published 20 manuscripts, written over 7 chapters, and edited numerous articles and 10 chapters for eMedicine and 4 other medical journals. He has written Board questions for the ABIM’s Infectious Disease exam, the ASTMH’s Certificate of Knowledge exam, and the MKSAP. He was voted “Teacher of the Year” 3 times in his career, has been selected as a Delaware “Top Doc” over 5 different times, and is widely sought after for his informative and entertaining lectures. In 2004 he was selected for Christiana Care’s Maxwell Award for compassionate patient care. He has been back in Delaware since 2001 where he enjoys spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. Hobbies include SCUBA diving and going to the gym; the youngest participant to complete the New York Marathon in 1973, he once ran 100 miles in 23 hours (at the time a US record for a 21 year old); on another occasion, he did 1,111 situps. He is also known throughout the hospital for his colorful outfits, specifically “Wacky Pants Wednesday” and “Hawaiian Shirt Friday”.
Home Our Team Appointments Infusion Center Contact

Appointments

Welcome to Infectious Disease Consultants! We are glad to have the opportunity to help you with your medical needs. Of note, we are a referral-based practice. Typically, your primary care doctor, hospitalist, or specialist will recommend and refer you to our practice. If you have been referred to our practice, please see the following information below which can help us to provide the best care possible for you. In addition to the brief policy information below, there are links for downloadable New Patient Packets, and Physician Referral Request. Lastly, there is information explaining the use of outpatient intravenous antibiotic therapy, or OPAT (a common reason for infectious disease consultation).

Telemedicine

We are able to offer telemedicine consultation, through doxy.me. Doxy.me is a HIPAA compliant telemedicine portal, and is dedicated to ensure that your visit and information is encrypted, anonymous, and not stored. Telemedicine appointment times will be arranged by office staff. Patients can then click on the links below through their smart phone, mobile device, or computer to enter their physician's virtual waiting room. We ask that patients check in at least 10 minutes prior to scheduled appointment. At this time, Google Chrome, and Safari are supported browsers that can be used for access. Please contact our office if their are difficulties in accessing the telemedicine visit.

Dr. Ley's room | Dr. Emmons' room | Dr. Mac's room | Dr. Duffalo's room

Downloadable Forms

Patient Forms

Patient Info Form Notice of Privacy Practice

Health History HIPAA Signature Form

Referring Doctor Forms


New Patient Referral Form

Policies

When you have questions for one of the doctors or our staff, our receptionists will communicate your questions to the appropriate provider. In most cases our receptionists, or one of our patient coordinators, or nurses, will call you back with the answer. We do not routinely give lab results over the phone as they will be discussed at your next scheduled visit. If you are having a problem which may necessitate our seeing you that day, please call by 8:45 AM so we can help make the necessary arrangements.

If you have questions regarding your bill, please call the billing department at 302-530-7015.

If you will be unable to keep your scheduled appointment, you must notify us at least 24-hours in advance of your appointment or you will be charged a cancellation fee. Two days prior to your scheduled appointment you will be given a confirmation call. We would appreciate a returned call stating whether or not you will attend your appointment. If we do not receive a confirmation call from you, we may need to cancel your appointment time.

Thank you for following these requests. Doing so will allow the staff and patients to communicate in an efficient manner which will best meet our patients’ needs. We look forward to working with you.

Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT)

The Basics

For some infectious disease conditions, longer term parenteral (also called intravenous or IV) antibiotic therapy is the most appropriate treatment. Medical conditions including osteomyelitis, endocarditis, as well as various others, often require weeks of IV antibiotic therapy. If patients are medically stable, and do not require, or no longer require acute medical care, this type of antibiotic therapy can often be provided safely outside the hospital. OPAT can be given either at home, or through an outpatient infusion center.

What to Expect

Patients may be referred for OPAT either after meeting the requirements for such therapy during a hospital stay, or being diagnosed with a condition in the outpatient setting which requires IV antibiotic therapy. Typically, patients receiving OPAT obtain a type of longer-term intravenous access, such as a PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) line, Port, or an alternative, which can be used to infuse medications such as antibiotics. This type of IV access often can be used to draw blood in addition to administering medications. This is important to note, as those receiving outpatient IV therapy are required to receive at least once weekly blood draws. This is in order to assure that the infections are resolving, and medications are being tolerated. There are additional services which are required if medications are being administered in the home. These would include infusion companies, which would help deliver the intravenous medications to the household, and visiting nurses, who can help in obtaining bloodwork, and assuring the medication and intravenous line are being tolerated.