What’s up at Upstate: new pharmacy, youngest vaccine recipient, vector containment lab
Pharmacy opens near Upstate Community Hospital
The Upstate Outpatient Pharmacy added a second location, at 5000 W. Seneca Turnpike in the town of Onondaga, across the street from the Upstate Community Hospital campus (photo below). The new pharmacy supports the Meds to Beds program at the hospital, handles all of Upstate’s mail-order prescriptions and specializes in compounding, or the mixing of complex pharmaceuticals in specialized dosages and forms. It also houses Upstate’s new pill-packaging machine, which produces individualized pill packs based on dosing times.
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World’s youngest double vaccine recipient
Vincenzo “Enzo” Mincolla was 8 months old when he made international news in May. The infant – son of Baldwinsville physicians Mike Mincolla, MD, and Marissa Mincolla, MD – was the youngest person in the world to receive two doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine through a clinical trial conducted at Upstate. The Upstate site was one of four where a phase I dose selection study using the Pfizer vaccine was tested in children under 12 years old. Joseph Domachowske, MD, who specializes in pediatric infectious diseases, is the principal investigator.
Pfizer announced in September that the vaccine safely induced a robust antibody response in this age group. The Food and Drug Administration agreed to prioritize its review. Meanwhile, trials continue with children from 6 months to 5 years of age.
Money for telehealth
The Federal Communications Commission awarded Upstate $2 million to help upgrade and support its telehealth infrastructure with a focus on video consultations and remote patient monitoring as part of its electronic medical records. The upgraded platform will connect dozens of Upstate clinics and physical sites and streamline telehealth options for Upstate patients, many of whom live far away from Syracuse.
Nappi building's construction moves forward
The Nappi Wellness Institute, being built across East Adams Street from the Upstate Cancer Center, marked its progress with a ceremonial beam raising and tree-topping ceremony in August. The facility will become the centerpiece of Upstate’s outpatient care, with a focus on geriatric care. It will also serve as home to nearly a dozen medical specialties, such as mental health, pediatrics and family medicine. The Nappi Wellness Institute is set to open in 2023.
Décor aims to make children less anxious
A pair of physical therapy rooms in the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital was redecorated to resemble playrooms rather than clinical spaces, to help lessen anxiety for young patients. The rooms are painted in an undersea theme and outfitted with toys that double as therapy aids. The redesign was made possible by the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation and the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
Unique research lab opens
Upstate opened a first-of-its-kind Vector Biocontainment Laboratory (photo above), which allows researchers to conduct more extensive research on infectious diseases, including coronavirus disease, Lyme disease, West Nile encephalitis, Zika and more. The lab has an advanced biosafety level. Its director is Saravanan Thangamani, PhD, an internationally renowned expert in tick-borne disease research, who is collaborating with researchers to develop a universal anti-tick vaccine.
For an audio interview about this, click here.
Upstate University Hospital CEO Robert Corona, DO, at the opening of the Upstate Outpatient Pharmacy on Onondaga Hill.