Weill Cornell Medical College officially opened the Clinique Skin Wellness Center at Weill Cornell on Jan. 25, the first-ever collaboration between an academic health center and a consumer products company that will focus on all aspects of dermatology, including research, clinical care and education. The center is located on the ninth floor of the Medical College's new Weill Greenberg Center, the ambulatory services and medical education building just opened at the corner of York Avenue and 70th Street. (For more information on the Weill Greenberg Center opening, click here.)
Dr. Richard Granstein, chairman of the Department of Dermatology, welcomes press and attendees of the Clinique Skin Wellness Center at the Weill Greenberg Center, Jan. 25.
Established through an agreement between Clinique and Weill Cornell Medical College that was announced in 2005, the center will be directed by Dr. Richard Granstein, chairman of the Department of Dermatology at Weill Cornell.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to embark on many of our mutual goals," said Dr. Granstein during the opening ceremony. "This partnership is a new model and it is how we are going to develop the knowledge to treat patients in the future."
The center's physical space infuses spa-like amenities with a modern dermatology clinic. Overlooking 70th Street, the waiting area is spacious and modern, and patients are seen in three full-service examination rooms with dermatologists trained in a range of subspecialties. The center will focus on patient education on preventive measures to maintain the health of the skin.
An exam room of the Clinique Skin Wellness Center.
"While I've seen many medical facilities, I've never seen facilities like this at a doctor's office," said Sanford Weill, chairman of the Weill Cornell Board of Overseers and one of two major benefactors of the Weill Greenberg Center. "What the Skin Wellness Center will do for dermatology is fantastic."
The center will also pursue research in areas of mutual interest, particularly the immunobiology and the neurobiology of the skin. As part of the research component of the agreement, Clinique will fund a Clinique Clinical Scholars Award to support the research activities of a young faculty member. Dr. John Carucci, assistant professor of dermatology, was recently named the first Clinique Clinical Scholar.
The Skin Wellness Center will also continue the Dermatology Department's commitment to academic outreach by organizing annual symposia on basic science research in dermatology. Clinique will also sponsor an information desk and public forums to engage the public.
"We firmly believe that it's part of our mission to educate the public about skin problems," said Dr. Granstein.
Clinique's sponsorship of the Skin Wellness Center is one of the largest gifts to the Medical College from a corporation in the institution's history. During remarks near the end of the opening ceremony, Weill Cornell Dean Antonio Gotto praised the commonsense approach of partnering a dermatology clinic with a cosmetic company focused on wellness and prevention. "The mission for both of us is the same," Dean Gotto said. "It's a great example of the value of corporate partnerships and how we can all benefit from it."
Photography by Jason Green.