The Center will operate by appointment only throughout the summer with safety measures to ensure patient wellbeing as COVID-19 concerns remain.
New York Medical College (NYMC)’s Lyme Disease Diagnostic Center opened on Tuesday, June 1, by appointment only. Located at 19 Bradhurst Avenue in Hawthorne, New York, Suite 1400 South, the clinic operates every summer to meet the demand of peak Lyme season. Appointments are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. through the end of August and may be made by calling (914) 493-7177.
For more than 30 years, the Center has provided the region with expert care in the diagnosis and treatment of tick bites, early and acute Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis (Ehrlichiosis), Babesiosis, Deer Tick Virus (Powassan) and Borrelia Miyamotoi. The founder of the Center, Gary P. Wormser, M.D., chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and vice chair for research and development in the Department of Medicine and professor of medicine, microbiology and immunology and of pharmacology, leads a team of highly experienced physicians and nurses at the forefront of tick-borne disease diagnosis, treatment and research.
“Lyme disease, if not recognized and treated in its early stages, can have extremely detrimental effects,” said Dr. Wormser. “As the summer months begin and people spend more time outside, increasing their exposure to ticks, we recognize the necessity of opening the Center so those who need to be treated and diagnosed for Lyme disease have the means to do so. We have implemented additional measures in our Center to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our patients and staff as concerns of COVID-19 still remain.”
All patients will be required to wear masks and additional safety measures regarding COVID-19 will be discussed by telephone when the appointment is made.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread through the bite of an infected deer tick, which can be found throughout the Lower Hudson Valley of New York State. If undetected and untreated in its early stages, Lyme disease can cause myriad health problems including, headaches, arthritis, swelling of the joints, as well as heart and central nervous system issues. If detected early, the infection can be treated with antibiotics and patients often recover quickly and completely.
Early symptoms of Lyme disease may be mild and easily missed. They include:
- An expanding circular rash at least two inches in size—that may or may not look like a bull’s eye — that usually occurs at the site of the tick bite
- Headache
- Fever/chills
- Stiff neck
- Pain in joints or muscles
- Paralysis of facial muscles
- Palpitations
- Multiple rashes
If you experience any of these symptoms or would like to learn more about the Lyme Disease Diagnostic Center, please visit www.nymc.edu/lddc or call (914) 493-TICK [8425]. The Lyme Disease Diagnostic Center is open to patients 18 years of age and older who are either acutely ill or who have recently been bitten by a tick. Most insurances are accepted. Children under the age of 18 may be evaluated by the Department of Pediatrics Division of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at NYMC by calling (914) 493-8333.
