Harlem Hospital’s Sickle Cell Clinical Team, led by Dr. Yong Eun.
NYC Health + Hospitals
Harlem Hospital’s Sickle Cell Clinical Team, led by Dr. Yong Eun.
Adults living with sickle cell disease have expanded access to specialized treatment at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem following an increase in operating hours for the hospital’s new adult clinic. Launched in January, the program now sees patients on Mondays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and combines management of sickle cell disease with routine primary and preventive healthcare. Patients can receive medications, screenings, pain-management support and assistance coordinating their care without having to navigate a separate medical practice for everyday health needs. The Harlem-based program also connects patients with social and community health workers who can assist with behavioral health concerns and challenges involving food or housing. Harlem is one of three NYC Health + Hospitals locations providing specialized adult sickle cell care.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem Expands Hours at Its New Adult Sickle Cell Clinic
Opened earlier this year, the new clinic is now open on Mondays and Fridays from 8am to 4pm
NYC Health + Hospitals is one of the largest providers of sickle cell care in the country
Harlem Hospital's clinic is built into primary care, so adults with sickle cell disease get their sickle cell care, preventive care, and chronic-disease care from one team in one place
Services include daily medication to reduce the risk of severe symptoms, pain management, care navigation, and reproductive counseling
As part of Sickle Cell Awareness Month, NYC Health + Hospitals today announced that the new Adult Sickle Cell Clinic at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, a program housed within the hospital’s Adult Primary Care service that serves as a primary care medical home for adults living with sickle cell disease, now offers extended hours. The clinic, which launched in January, is now open on Mondays and Fridays from 8am to 4pm. Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder and complex chronic disease that causes anemia, pain, organ damage, and early death. It predominantly affects people of color, specifically those with ancestry in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sickle cell disease affects about 100,000 people in the US and about 10,000 in New York State. A common feature of sickle cell disease is unpredictable episodes of severe, debilitating pain, known as vaso-occlusive pain crises. Patients with pain crises often go to the Emergency Room for treatment. However, by providing access to robust, comprehensive, and preventive sickle cell disease care, healthcare systems can reduce the frequency and severity of these painful episodes, and can help patients to stay healthy and engaged in their lives.
NYC Health + Hospitals is one of the largest providers of sickle cell care in the country, with seven sickle cell clinics for pediatric patients and three sickle cell clinics for adults. Services include preventive medications, such as hydroxyurea, to reduce the risk of severe symptoms; preventive screening tests; pain management; and care navigation; At Harlem Hospital, these services are delivered alongside routine primary and preventive care by the same primary care physician, so patients do not have to navigate a separate clinic for their everyday health needs.The clinics also include a social worker and a community health worker to help patients address mental health needs such as depression and anxiety, as well as the social determinants of health such as food insecurity or housing instability.
“NYC Health + Hospitals is committed to health equity and comprehensive care,” said Nichola Davis, MD, MS, Chief Population Health Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals. “The new Adult Sickle Cell Clinic at Harlem Hospital is an example of this mission in action. By leveraging in-house sickle cell disease expertise and promoting cross-facility collaboration, we are prioritizing the care of a patient population that is often neglected in healthcare.”
“The expansion of the Sickle Cell services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem is another major victory for the Harlem community,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem Chief Executive Officer Georges H. Leconte, MPA, FAB. “Patients affected by sickle cell disease can now leverage access to consistent, coordinated and culturally-competent care to better manage their health, reduce preventable complications, and ensure they receive the exceptional clinical expertise they deserve. The initiative reflects our unwavering dedication to advancing health equity and improving health outcomes for patients and families impacted by sickle cell disease.”
“Adults living with sickle cell disease deserve what every other adult expects from primary care: a medical home, with a doctor of their own who manages their sickle cell disease together with their overall health, and a team that handles the pain, the paperwork, and the follow-up as one,” said Yong Eun, MD, Attending Physician, Adult Primary Care, and Clinical Lead, Sickle Cell Disease Primary Care Program, NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem. “That is what we built at Harlem Hospital, and the extended hours are a direct response to what our patients told us they needed.”
The following hospitals have specialized adult care for sickle cell disease:
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens
The following hospitals provide specialized pediatric care for sickle cell disease:
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan
- NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx
- NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens
Source: NYC Health + Hospitals
