Einstein and Montefiore Receive $2.4 Million From NYS DOH

Newswise — October 21, 2014—(BRONX, NY)—Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and Montefiore Medical Center in collaboration with Developmental Disabilities Health Alliance of New York (DDHA) and Community Resource Center for the Developmentally Disabled, Inc. (CRC/DD), have received a $2.4 million grant to integrate medical and mental healthcare for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The grant was provided by the New York State Balancing Incentive Program (BIP) Innovation Fund, which was established by the New York State Department of Health to expand and improve access to community-based services for people with disabilities.

The grant was awarded to the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center (CERC), the clinical arm of the Rose F. Kennedy Center. The funding will allow Einstein, Montefiore, DDHA and CRC/DD to establish three integrated “one-stop-shops” for clients with IDD, particularly those who live with their families or in other community settings. The three centers to be located in the Bronx and Westchester will provide primary care, mental health and specialty health services, behavioral support and case management.

“Montefiore, Einstein and CERC have a long history of caring for some of the most vulnerable patients in New York,” said Judy Aschner, M.D., physician-in-chief, The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore professor and Michael I. Cohen, M.D., University Chair of Pediatrics at Einstein. “This grant presents a new opportunity to apply our comprehensive approach to tackling complex health problems for the benefit of patients with these distinct challenges. These centers will meaningfully extend our commitment to providing coordinated and compassionate care by integrating services across our institutions.”

“Families who live with someone with intellectual and developmental disabilities face unique challenges,” said Theodore Kastner, M.D., president of DDHA, adjunct clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Einstein, and project director of the grant at CERC. “There are times when families need additional support, particularly when challenging behavior occurs. During these crises, families are forced to rely on emergency room and inpatient psychiatric care, primarily due to a lack of viable alternatives. We want to establish a model that provides appropriate, community-based care not just to individuals with IDD, but to their families as well. The fact that these services can be offered at lower cost than emergency room and inpatient care is a real win-win for everyone.” Crisis stabilization and respite services will be provided by CRC/DD.

The Innovation Fund grant will allow the consortium to expand the number and scope of its current locations. Each of the three proposed locations will include a community-based primary care practice, integrating mental and specialty health services. The project will also support case managers, who will assist clients in accessing appropriate care. Each location will have a behavioral specialist and access to residential respite care.

“Children and adults with IDD benefit enormously when their physical and mental health is managed within a comprehensive program by clinicians and support staff that has been specifically trained to treat them,” said Dr. Kastner. “This home health approach has been shown to address the triple aim of healthcare reform by improving the patient experience of care, improving the outcomes of care and reducing the costs of care.”

###About the Children’s Evaluation and Rehabilitation CenterCERC is the major service component of the Rose F. Kennedy Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The Rose F. Kennedy Center is also comprised of the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDD), the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Program (LEND) and the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC). Representing collaboration between the Departments of Neurosciences and Pediatrics, the Rose F, Kennedy Center is one of only six programs in the United States to offer a comprehensive service, training and research program on behalf of persons with IDD and their families.

About Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva UniversityAlbert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University is one of the nation’s premier centers for research, medical education and clinical investigation. During the 2013-2014 academic year, Einstein is home to 743 M.D. students, 275 Ph.D. students, 103 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and 313 postdoctoral research fellows. The College of Medicine has more than 2,000 full-time faculty members located on the main campus and at its clinical affiliates. In 2013, Einstein received more than $150 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This includes the funding of major research centers at Einstein in aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, cancer, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS. Other areas where the College of Medicine is concentrating its efforts include developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities. Its partnership with Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital and academic medical center for Einstein, advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. Through its extensive affiliation network involving Montefiore, Jacobi Medical Center –Einstein’s founding hospital, and three other hospital systems in the Bronx, Brooklyn and on Long Island, Einstein runs one of the largest residency and fellowship training programs in the medical and dental professions in the United States. For more information, please visit www.einstein.yu.edu, read our blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and view us on YouTube.

About Montefiore Medical CenterAs the University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore is a premier academic medical center nationally renowned for its clinical excellence, scientific discovery and commitment to its community. Recognized among the top hospitals nationally and regionally by U.S. News & World Report, Montefiore provides compassionate, patient- and family-centered care and educates the healthcare professionals of tomorrow. The Children's Hospital at Montefiore is consistently named in U.S. News' "America's Best Children's Hospitals." With four hospitals, 1,491 beds and 90,000 annual admissions, Montefiore is an integrated health system seamlessly linked by advanced technology. State-of-the-art primary and specialty care is provided through a network of more than 130 locations across the region, including the largest school health program in the nation and a home health program. Montefiore's partnership with Einstein advances clinical and translational research to accelerate the pace at which new discoveries become the treatments and therapies that benefit patients. The medical center derives its inspiration for excellence from its patients and community, and continues to be on the frontlines of developing innovative approaches to care. For more information please visit www.montefiore.org and www.montekids.org. Follow us on Twitter; like us on Facebook; view us on YouTube.