Einstein Neuroscience Department Mobilizes to Help Department of Medicine
When the department of medicine’s office space in the Hutch Tower 2 had to suddenly be vacated on Thursday, March 26, the Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience came to the rescue.
![The neuroscience department cleared refrigerator space so that the division of allergy & immunology could safely move and store precious patient allergen extracts, needed for skin testing and desensitization therapy, and monoclonal antibody medications]()
The neuroscience department cleared refrigerator space so that the division of allergy & immunology could safely move and store precious patient allergen extracts, needed for skin testing and desensitization therapy, and monoclonal antibody medications
Many supplies, including the division of allergy & immunology's precious patient allergen extracts and monoclonal antibody medications had to be moved immediately from their refrigerators so that the area could be converted to an inpatient COVID-19 facility.
Dr. Kamran Khodakhah, professor and chair of neuroscience, and his group sprang into action, locating a room with refrigerators in the Rose F. Kennedy Center on Einstein’s Jack and Pearl Resnick campus. Within three hours, his staff had removed their research materials and sanitized the refrigerators so the allergy team could move their supplies from the Hutch. Two of the division of allergy & immunology faculty, Drs. Manish Ramesh and Denisa Ferastraoaru, drove their refrigerated supplies in special coolers and transferred them to the refrigerators at Kennedy, where the neuroscience staff members were waiting to help them get set up.
This act of incredible camaraderie and compassion did not go unnoticed. Dr. Yaron Tomer, professor and chair of medicine, and the allergy & immunology division faculty extended their thanks to Dr. Khodakhah, Kevin Fisher, and others in neuroscience who pulled out all the stops to make the transfer of vital medications happen.
“Of the hundreds of things that you have to do each day, we really appreciate you taking the time to solve our problem with the extracts and biologics and finding us an optimal solution,” said Dr. Ramesh.
“We were able to move patient extracts and biologics, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and store them optimally in the Kennedy Center. The refrigerators had more than enough space and are on an emergency power line,” he added. “We couldn't have asked for more.”
Posted on: Friday, April 03, 2020