The Mount Sinai Hospital’s Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance has announced the inauguration of the Cohen Center for Recovery From Complex Chronic Illnesses (CoRE) in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
The facility is dedicated to treating patients with long-term conditions, such as Lyme disease, long Covid, and other infection-associated illnesses, including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFC) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS).
The CoRE involves an investment of $10m and was established through philanthropic efforts, including contributions from Beth and Joshua Nash and a naming gift from the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation.
CoRE Nash Family director David Putrino said, “Our center will be one of the few places in the world embedded in a major clinical institution that’s able to provide outstanding care management, as well as leading-edge research focused on biological discovery.
“A crucial part of our process is that our clinicians, patients, and researchers are in constant contact and communication. This is how we plan to foster the innovative and rapid work that will drive discovery and cures for people who need solutions today.”
The CoRE facility can serve up to 700 new patients annually and its design incorporates biophilic elements to create a calming environment, which is conducive to healing for individuals with infection-associated complex conditions.
It features HEPA filters and far-UV light technology for infection prevention, addressing the concerns of patients with autonomic nervous system dysfunction.
Patients will receive specialized rehabilitation, including autonomic rehabilitation, provided by a skilled physical therapy team.
In addition, innovative, non-pharmacological therapies for chronic pain, such as virtual reality and transcranial magnetic stimulation, will be available at the centre.
The CoRE is also initiating research programs to better understand conditions like long Covid and Lyme disease.
It will conduct clinical trials in partnership with the PolyBio Research Foundation. These trials include testing antiviral medications for long Covid treatment and investigating lumbrokinase’s potential to dissolve micro clots in blood, which may alleviate symptom severity in patients with long Covid or ME/CFS.
In addition, the center will explore novel therapies, including the role of natural supplements in the repurposing of existing antimicrobial medications to treat evidence of persistent infections occurring in people with long Covid and other infection-associated chronic conditions.
Earlier this month, Mount Sinai also unveiled a new surgery center in New York.
Beth and Joshua Nash have made significant philanthropic contributions to Mount Sinai. Their family has a long history of supporting Mount Sinai, including establishing the Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics and renaming the Department of Neuroscience as The Nash Family Department of Neuroscience in recognition of their generosity.
Steven and Alexandra Cohen have also significantly contributed to Mount Sinai Medical Center through their foundation. They funded the renovation of the labor and delivery floor, now named the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Center for Labor and Birth, enhancing facilities with advanced technology and increasing birth capacity.