One Fund Center Will Offer Care to Those Affected by the Marathon Bombings
Photo provided by the city of boston
The One Fund has teamed up with Massachusetts General Hospital to create a new center for victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. The new space, called the One Fund Center, will offer ongoing care to individuals affected by persistent injuries from the explosions.
The One Fund Center is set to open in October (no date has been released yet) at a cost of $1.5 million, which was donated by the One Fund Boston. The center will provide care from specialists at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and at Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine.
Specifically, the One Fund Center will serve patients who have had difficulties with tinnitus, a persistent ringing in the ears, and other hearing-related problems. It will also serve those with mental health issues, including PTSD, anxiety, traumatic brain injury, and associated symptoms such as headaches, cognitive problems, and balance difficulties.
“Much like veterans who suffer adverse effects after returning from combat, many of those who were near the site of the marathon bombings continue to experience a wide range of complex issues,” says John Herman, M.D., associate chief of the MGH Department of Psychiatry and a member of the advisory panel for the One Fund Center, in a statement. “The physical and psychological scars of such a significant and tragic event often require long-term, coordinated treatments to help alleviate the lingering debilitating effects.”
Dr. Rebecca Weintraub Brendel, a psychiatrist and clinical director for Mass General’s Home Base program, will be the medical director at the One Fund Center.
“We recognize that the path to recovery is a collaboration involving every aspect of the patient’s care and wellbeing. It is our hope and ultimate goal to offer as many options as possible for survivors to successfully manage and recover from the lasting effects of this tragedy,” Brendel said in a statement.
Currently, the team is working to confirm a physical location for the Center and hire staff. Dot Joyce, a representative from the One Fund, says that the office will be central to Massachusetts General Hospital and Massachusetts Eye and Ear and used to coordinate services and needs between patients and doctors.
