Coronavirus: RUMC to open treatment center for recovering patients – SILive.com

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) in West Brighton announced this week that it will open a comprehensive treatment center for recovering coronavirus (COVID-19) patients next month.

As of Thursday, Dr. Daniel Messina, president and CEO of RUMC, said the hospital has 31 coronavirus patients being treated -- with more than 1,080 COVID patients in total treated and discharged thanks to dedicated hospital staff. However, Messina made it clear that patient care doesnt end after they are discharged.

Recovering patients face many challenges both physically, mentally, including cardiac, pulmonary issues, anxiety, depression, loss of stamina, to name just a few," Messina said Thursday. "To help these survivors in their immediate recovery and long-term care, we are pleased to announce our new Comprehensive Post COVID Treatment Center.

Messina said the center closes the loop at the hospital due to the unknown potential conditions that may unfold during the recovery of COVID-19 patients.

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The Comprehensive Post COVID Treatment Center will feature a team of multi-disciplinary experts focused on assisting recovering coronavirus patients with short- and long-term health-care needs.

Dr. Philip Otterbeck, chairman of medicine at RUMC, said that in addition to COVID-19 cases decreasing dramatically, there hasnt been a coronavirus-related death in the past seven days and no COVID-positive patient readmissions since May 19.

As we continue to treat current patients, our focus must now shift to helping the survivors, said Otterbeck. Our discharged patients have many things in common. Many have pulmonary issues, this is due to the fact that the disease progresses and how it manifests itself in the lungs. In addition, we are seeing potential cardiac complications, shortness of breath, stamina issues, nephrology problems, depression and anxiety. For these reasons, weve established the new Post COVID Treatment Center to address all of these medical issues.

The center will be located at 288 Kissel Ave., inside the hospitals Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center, behind the main hospital. It is slated to open on June 8 -- with appointments being offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays for now.

A specific pediatric program involving similar sub-specialties will also be available for youth recovering from coronavirus and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), according to Marianne LaBarbera, president of RUMC medical staff.

Pulmonologist and critical care physician Dr. Keith Diaz said that its extremely important for this program to better the health of our surrounding community.

He added that the center will be a learning opportunity for physicians, so that if something like the coronavirus crises were to happen again, they would be better prepared.

HOW THE CENTER WORKS

Weve made a process where any patient who has tested positive for COVID and had a COVID-related illness can be referred either directly from a hospital or referred from their primary care physician, said Diaz.

Patients dont need to have been previously treated at RUMC to access the centers services.

Upon initiation to the program, a patient will receive a registration packet with information of what to expect. He or she will receive a comprehensive physical examination from a dedicated physician and further testing -- such as pulmonary functioning, EKG, bloodwork and radiology exams.

Depending on what the tests show and the current health status of the patient, he or she may be referred for initial testing or a specialty evaluation with a cardiologist, pulmonologist, or a behavioral health specialist.

Dr. Francesco Rotatori, RUMCs chief of cardiology, said that many patients will be given a pulse oximeter to monitor any changes in their health at home.

As to better treat the patient as a whole [and] weve gathered all of our information, well have a multidisciplinary collaboration and utilize that in order to formulate an individualized treatment plan and provide a detailed summary to the referred physician or primary care physician, said Diaz.

Primary care physicians will be incorporated throughout the process to collaborate and better treat the patient to meet their long- and short-term goals.

To make an appointment with a physician referral, patients can call 718-818-2683 beginning next week. For more information, you can visit RUMCSI.org.

TELEHEALTH OPTIONS

Patients will have access to RUMCs telehealth options and the Richmond Health Network Portal to make appointments and view results, or connect with the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Staten Island home care.

Hope Iliceto, president and CEO of VNA, said the VNA has been working to help non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients and to make sure they are monitored at home through telehealth services or, if necessary, in-person care.

Rotatori also announced a new app that will launch next month to help COVID patients document their progress and communicate with their health-care providers. Through the app, physicians will be able to interact with patients to help make diagnoses and treatment options. It will also allow patients to review test results and make appointments.

PEDIATRIC VACCINE VAN COMING SOON

Dr. Brian McMahon, chair of pediatrics at RUMC, said on Thursday that parents have been reluctant to take public transportation to get their children for standard vaccines and well visits.

The RUMCs Department of Pediatrics will partner with the Community Health Action of Staten Island (CHASI) to bring the vaccines and well visits to the community through a vaccine van.

McMahon said the vaccine van is expected to launch soon.

CHASI is providing the van, and RUMCs Department of Pediatrics clinic will have physicians providing vaccines and other wellness services.

McMahon said the initiative is a terrific example of a collaboration between a community-based organization and the hospital.

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