BROOKLYN, NY — One Brooklyn Health (OBH) has launched Ready Set Sickle, an innovative virtual reality (VR) interactive educational game designed to educate patients, families and the community about sickle cell disease.
Developed by One Brooklyn Health’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program as part of a New York State grant, Ready Set Sickle provides an engaging and accessible way for users to learn about the condition, its impact on daily life and the importance of awareness, early intervention and compassionate care.
Sickle cell disease affects many individuals in the communities One Brooklyn Health serves, yet the condition remains widely misunderstood. Through Ready Set Sickle, OBH is bringing health education into an interactive virtual environment, giving users an opportunity to learn about sickle cell disease in a way that is informative, engaging, and accessible.
“Education is an important part of empowering patients and families affected by sickle cell disease,” said Kusum Viswanathan, MD, Chief Medical Officer of One Brooklyn Health and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics. “Ready Set Sickle allows us to make that education more engaging and accessible while building greater understanding of sickle cell disease throughout our community.”
The launch of Ready Set Sickle builds on the longstanding work of One Brooklyn Health’s Comprehensive Sickle Cell Program, which has provided sickle cell treatment for more than 50 years and currently cares for approximately 700 children and adults.
OBH provides pediatric and adult sickle cell services at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center and Interfaith Medical Center. The multidisciplinary program brings together board-certified hematologists, nurses, social workers, transition navigators and child life specialists to coordinate individualized treatment plans for patients and families.
Through clinical care, patient and family education, community outreach and innovative resources such as Ready Set Sickle, One Brooklyn Health continues to expand access to sickle cell education and empower the communities it serves with information about the disease.
Ready Set Sickle is available through the Virtual Resource Center on One Brooklyn Health’s Sickle Cell Program webpage.
About One Brooklyn Health
One Brooklyn Health (OBH)—comprising Brookdale Hospital Medical Center, Interfaith Medical Center, and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center—is nationally recognized for high-quality care in heart failure, stroke, and diabetes, among other acute care.
The system includes 12 ambulatory care centers, two nursing homes, an assisted and independent living facility, a transitional housing program, an urgent care center, and a retail pharmacy. OBH’s mission is to expand access to quality medical care for Brooklyn’s most vulnerable communities and beyond. For more information, please visit onebrooklynhealth.org.
Photo: Dr. Graham Beards, Wikimedia Commons
