The Division of Allergy and Immunology at Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center provides a nationally and internationally recognized team of health care providers and researchers. This team of health care specialists provides a variety of programs:
The Center for Childhood Asthma - This center provides a multidisciplinary outpatient program for children and adolescents with asthma. The team includes sub-specialists in Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine and Allergy/Immunology. The goal of the Asthma Center is to provide comprehensive care for the child or adolescent with asthma.
Adult Allergy and Asthma - The Division evaluates, counsels and treats adults with allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and rhino sinusitis, asthma, allergic skin diseases and allergies to medications, foods and insect stings.
Pediatric Allergic Diseases - Division staff evaluates and treat children with allergic diseases that include: allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, and eczema. A nurse specialist and social worker provide counseling.
Food Allergy Center - The Food Allergy Center is a comprehensive center for children with food allergies. Skin and CAP RAST testing, along with double blind, placebo controlled food challenges, are performed to identify allergy triggers. The staff provides counseling, educational materials and support to patients and families.
Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases - Pediatric specialists evaluate children with genetically defined, primary immune defects that lead to recurrent serious infection in childhood and adolescents. For these patients, bone marrow transplant or gene therapy, where appropriate, are used for immune reconstitution.
Immunodeficiency in Adults - Adults with frequent pneumonias, sinus infections and other unusual infections are evaluated and treated.
Secondary Immunodeficiency, HIV Services - Children and adolescents with HIV infection and other diseases that lead to secondary, no genetically defined immune defects are evaluated and treated. Physicians, Nurse Specialist, Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, Social Workers and Laboratory Technologists formulate treatment protocols for these children.
Teaching - Dr. Bonagura is the Training Program Director for the Residency Training Program in Allergy and Immunology at the North Shore/Long Island Jewish Health System. Fellows and residents in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine rotate through the Division; these residents become sub-specialists in re-recognizing and treating children and adults with allergy and immunologic diseases.
Research - The Division of Allergy/Immunology also has a very active research program including NIH supported basic science research for host responses in children and adults with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis. Research in botanical agents such as Siberian Ginseng and Echinacea are focuses of study in the Division. In addition the immunologic perturbation in adults and children with rheumatic disease is also pursued at the bench. Finally, molecular biologic investigation to identify the pathogenesis of HIV infection by illuminating the immune responses made by patients vs. primates, who get infected with HIV but do not develop AIDS, are also under active study in the Division.
