A grant award from the Health Foundation of South Florida to the North Broward Hospital District soon will establish a transitional sickle cell day hospital & wellness center designed to improve the quality of life for young adults living with sickle cell disease.

The hospital and wellness center, created in a former pediatric area at Broward General Medical Center, will specialize in the care of sickle cell patients 18 to 28 years old. It will include eight patient beds, a nutrition center, and an entertainment area for patients while they receive not only medical treatment for sickle cell crisis, but also obtain wellness care in order to avoid a crisis.

Once a patient is enrolled in the program, care is monitored and overseen by a case manager from NBHD’s Community Health Services. By offering disease case management, wellness care and sickle cell day hospital treatment, the program will reduce emergency department visits, inpatient hospital stays and costs associated with treating the disease. To expedite care and decrease the severity of a crisis, patients enrolled in the program will be able to bypass the emergency department and go directly to the day hospital.