VALHALLA N.Y. (October 18, 2021) – The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) announces the award of a $50,000 grant from the Westchester Community Foundation, a division of The New York Community Trust. WMCHealth will use the grant to increase the services provided through support groups, a key component of treatment plans for many patients in a Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program based here.
"Expansion of WMCHealth's Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program will ensure the Post-COVID Syndrome patients—those who experience medical and mental-health symptoms for weeks or months—not only get the services they need, they will also have access to a support group and individual counseling sessions," said Laura Rossi, Executive Director of Westchester Community Foundation. "With this grant, we hope we can help improve their quality of life."
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| The $50,000 grant made possible by the Westchester Community Foundation will support the WMCHealth Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program at
Westchester Medical Center. |
The WMCHealth Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program at Westchester Medical Center cares for individuals who have had a COVID-19 infection and are plagued by lasting symptoms, a condition referred to as Post-COVID Syndrome. Symptoms that include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain, and mental "fogginess" can be acute and last for weeks or months. The prolonged symptoms of Post-COVID Syndrome can be a mental health stressor. As part of the treatment course for program patients displaying mild anxiety or depression, our physicians recommend enrollment in a support group.
WMCHealth will dedicate the Westchester Community Foundation grant to hire additional staff to enable the support group to grow, increase meeting frequency, facilitate one-on-one patient counseling, and integrate patient caregivers into the recovery process.
"Currently, over 350 patients are enrolled in the WMCHealth Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program, and we add new patients on a regular basis. Many of these patients have debilitating, long-term symptoms that impact their lives, resulting in a need for both physical and mental health support," said Neil Schluger, MD, Director of Medicine at Westchester Medical Center. "This generous grant from the Westchester Community Foundation will enable us to provide patients with additional support during their recovery."
Westchester Community Foundation's mission is to connect generous people to the causes they care about and invest in transformative ideas and organizations to improve lives and strengthen our community. WCF is a division of The New York Community Trust, one of the largest community foundations in the country, with assets of approximately $2.6 billion. For more information, please visit WCF-NY.org.
WMCHealth Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program: Scheduling an Evaluation
The WMCHealth Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program was one of the first of its kind in the nation. The multidisciplinary program gives patients access to COVID-19-experienced physicians in primary care, pulmonology, cardiology, nephrology, mental and emotional health, radiology, and other specialties as needed. Hundreds of patients are receiving care through the Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program and the demand for the program's services continue to grow, with similar programs now available at other WMCHealth Network member hospitals.
The WMCHealth Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program is accepting new patients and takes most insurances. Individuals can schedule an evaluation by requesting an appointment online or by calling 833.329.0095.
After an evaluation, a physical exam, and review of the patient's COVID-19 history with a WMCHealth primary care physician, Post-COVID-19 Recovery Program patients are assigned a clinical patient navigator who guides the patient through a personalized treatment plan. If a patient has a primary care physician, s/he will receive detailed communication; if they do not, the program will help the patient establish a relationship with a primary care provider.
Know the Symptoms and Risks
The lingering effects of a COVID-19 infection can include symptoms such as:
- Fatigue
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Headache
- Muscle weakness and joint pain
- Impact to the heart, lungs, brain, and blood cells
- Mental "fogginess," confusion, anxiety, depression
Experience in COVID-19 Care
WMCHealth's physicians and nurses have significant experience treating COVID-19 patients. WMCHealth was one of the first New York State health care systems to launch COVID-19
diagnostic and antibody testing throughout its network. In addition, WMCHealth was selected to participate in medication trials and continues to optimize approaches to testing, acute care, and chronic care follow-up for those diagnosed with COVID-19.
About Westchester Medical Center, the flagship of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network
Westchester Medical Center is the premier provider of advanced medical care in New York's Hudson Valley region. The flagship of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network, this 415-bed academic hospital located in Valhalla, New York, provides local residents with acute care services - Level I trauma and burn care, organ transplants, Comprehensive Stroke Center, and more- found nowhere else in the region. Westchester Medical Center is the primary referral facility for other hospitals in the Hudson Valley and serves as a lifeline for more than 2.4 million people. To learn more about Westchester Medical Center and the vital services it provides to residents of the Hudson Valley and beyond, visit WestchesterMedicalCenter.org or follow Westchester Medical Center at Facebook.com/WestchesterMedicalCenter or Twitter.com/WestchesterMed.
About Westchester Medical Center Health Network
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with 10 hospitals on eight campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 13,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. From Level 1, Level 2, and Pediatric Trauma Centers, the region's only acute care children's hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, Comprehensive and Primary Stroke Centers, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, home-care services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State. Today WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated health care in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org or follow WMCHealth on Facebook.com/WMCHealth or Instagram.com/WMCHealth.
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Press representatives interested in speaking with a WMCHealth representative regarding the Post-COVID-19 Recovery program can contact us at any time to schedule a discussion. Patient testimonials may also be available.
CONTACT:
Andrew LaGuardia
914.493.6532
Andrew.LaGuardia@WMCHealth.org