Bio
Each week there are two-hundred Americans diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis…it is a startling number…but there is a program at Hartford HealthCare that is offering patients new options.
We are joined by Dr. Brian Wong – he specializes in Neuro-Immunology and is launching this new program at the Ayer Neuroscience Institute at Hartford HealthCare.
Q. First, what is Neuro-Immunology?
A. Neuro-immunology is a sub-specialty of neurology which focuses on the immune system’s role in contributing to neurologic diseases. This includes relatively common conditions like multiple sclerosis, as well as less common conditions such as neuromyelitis optica and neuro-sarcoidosis.
Q. Tell us about the program you are creating at Hartford HealthCare?
A. The neuro-immunology program is a new program at Hartford Healthcare. Our goal is to first properly diagnose patients with these conditions at our clinic in Southington. Then, once a diagnosis has been made, provide beneficial, effective treatments to minimize the effect that diseases like multiple sclerosis have on our patients’ lives.
Q. What type of treatments will be offered to patients?
A. There are currently 15 different medications approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. These medications help to prevent episodes of acute worsening, often called relapses, and consequently help minimize long term disability. We are seeing very positive outcomes with these treatments and therefore selecting an appropriate medication for each individual is important.
Q. What do you want patients to know about M-S and this new program?
A. It is a very exciting time in the field of neurology. For patients with multiple sclerosis, we have treatments which were not available to us in years past. We are now able to achieve remarkable long term outcomes that simply were not possible before.
Thank you, Dr. Wong, for sharing this important and valuable information for our viewers.
For more information, call 1-855-HHC-HERE.