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22 Hartford Business Journal • October 30, 2017 • www.HartfordBusiness.com 26 Hartford Business Journal • October 30, 2017 www.HartfordBusiness.com SPONSORED CONTENT MS at The Forefront Focusing on another clinical entity that has developed an international reputation as a leader in advanced treatment, The Joyce D. and Andrew J. Mandell Center for Comprehensive Multiple Sclerosis Care and Neuroscience Research in Hartford, is world-renowned for its comprehensive approach to treatment and care of its patients. The center boasts a multidisciplinary team of professionals that includes physiatrists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, urologists, neuropsychologists, neurologists, social workers, pharmacy experts, counselors, nurses and physician assistants — all under the same roof. Additionally, the center is leading a full complement of research initiatives, making it possible for patients to enroll in leading-edge trials. "The concept behind the Mandell MS Center is unique, but we know it can be replicated. We want to create a prototype for every major rehabilitation hospital in the country," states Mandell Center Medical Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Dr. Robert J. Krug, who is also president of Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital. "We are positioned to be the model for comprehensive care, and we're looking to include a stronger teaching component, so every new center can serve as an ideal setting for medical schools and allied health programs to provide interprofessional education, clinical training and translational research." Plans are underway for the success of the Mandell Center in Hartford to be replicated. At Saint Mary's Hospital in Waterbury, 8,000 square feet of space is under renovation with plans for a spring opening of the newest Mandell MS Center. A similar space is in the planning stages for Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, Mass. Each site will offer neurology, physiatry, urology and infusion services to MS patients in both communities. Discussions are also underway to open an MS center using the comprehensive Mandell model in Europe. In 2012 and 2016, the Mandell Center hosted international symposiums highlighting advances in MS research and identifying critical new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations to effectively facilitate research, integrate multidisciplinary patient care, and promote education and public-health advocacy. More than 3,000 patients have benefited from the Hartford center's scope of services, and with research initiatives, the introduction of a MS fellowship program next year, and a decisively preventive therapeutic approach, the center's vision — to assist others living with multiple sclerosis reach their full potential — can only thrive. "This blending of national strength and local commitment is a hallmark of Trinity Health Of New England," said President and CEO Chris Dadlez. "It's a powerful way to combine knowledge, resources and expertise with local needs to make a difference in our communities. It's who we are, and it's what we do." ● Dr. Albert Lo, Director of Neuroscience Research at the Mandell Center for Multiple Sclerosis, welcomed researchers from 16 countries to the 2016 international MS symposium in Hartford. Dr. Albert Lo (left) and Dr. Peter Wade, discuss the state-of-the-art equipment available at the Mandell Center for MS with Cindy Zagieboylo, president of the National MS Society, and Medical Director Dr. Robert Krug.