Trinity Health of New England’s Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell Center for Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Care and Neuroscience Research embraces a patient care philosophy addressing the physical, psychological, emotional and social needs of the “whole patient” while contributing original research to improve the lives of individuals with MS.
What have been the organization’s most significant contributions in the past year?
The Mandell MS Center’s innovative approach to patient care encompasses neurology, urology, mental health, physiatry and rehabilitation. And it is garnering global attention.
In 2022, the Center was selected to host fellowship trainings for clinicians across the country specializing in MS.
The 10 fellows included physical and occupational therapists, neurologists, social workers and RNs from across the U.S., seeking to advance their skillset. Additionally, the team of researchers worked closely with national and international experts to develop novel approaches to care.
A partnership with both Quinnipiac University and the University of Oxford, U.K. includes a medical student exchange program. This approach provides an opportunity to bring novel care to the next generation of providers, often shaving years off the process.
What are some major challenges the
organization had to overcome?
Over the past year, our patients expressed increasing financial vulnerability.
Assessment of the common themes impacting access to specialized care facilitated us to ensure telehealth was available for neurology and rehabilitation visits and to find creative ways to assist patients with transportation and access to assistive devices, regardless of financial state.
Additionally, despite the restricted resources in health care we proceeded with adding a MS fellowship-trained neurologist and infusion suite to a new Mandell MS Center in Springfield, Mass., extending access to a population in desperate need.
What’s the organization’s next major goal?
The Mandell MS Center team recently welcomed research partners from the University of Oxford to explore opportunities to replicate the Mandell MS Center care model back in the United Kingdom. The partnership provides an exceptional opportunity to break down boundaries between clinical neurosciences and rehabilitation to deliver world-leading integrated clinical care, education and research.
Other team members:
Anna Ouellette, RN
Ashmanie Mahatoo, MD
Barbara Rockcliffe
Carolyn St. Andre
Casey Bowen, MS CCC-SLP
Colleen Price-Grant
Courtney Bergin, LCSW
Elizabeth S. Gromisch, Ph.D., MSCS
Heather DelMastro, MS
Jeanette Torres
Judith Newmann, RN
Khadijah Miller
Kelly Coyne MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS
Kelly Schumacher, RN
Lindsay Neto, MPH
Lisa Roddy, RN
Lora Mason, MS, OTR/L
Nancy Rodriguez-Ocasio
Neisha Marston
Octivia Mosley
Renee Thompson, PA-C
Sarah Frank, PT, DPT, MSCS
Susan Fullana, RN
Zaenab Dhari, MD