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November 18, 2022 Healthcare Heroes Awards 2022

2022 Healthcare Hero: Trinity Health of New England’s Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell Center for Multiple Sclerosis Care and Neuroscience Research

Winner Category: Advancement in Healthcare - Innovation Team Leaders: Jennifer Ruiz, Regional Director of MS Centers and Neuroscience Research; Dr. Mary Bailey, Regional Medical Director, Mandell MS Centers; and Steve Kunsman, Executive Director, Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital Return to honoree page
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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

Return to honoree page

Winner Category: Advancement in Healthcare - Innovation

Team Leaders: Jennifer Ruiz, Regional Director of MS Centers and Neuroscience Research; Dr. Mary Bailey, Regional Medical Director, Mandell MS Centers; and Steve Kunsman, Executive Director, Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital

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