On Behalf of Myself and the Board of Directors of the LALIQ:

After serving the Lupus Community in Long Island and Queens since 1955, the Lupus Alliance of Long Island/Queens has closed its doors. The organization has been committed to improving the lives of lupus patients by providing educational resources, patient services and funding cutting edge research into the cause and cure of lupus. We remain grateful to the support we’ve received from you, our community.

As we look back, it is clear that the lives of lupus patients have improved over the years. Increased awareness of the disease has led to earlier diagnosis, earlier initiation of therapy and increased funding for lupus research. Our understanding of the biologic mechanisms leading to lupus and the many different features of this disease has increased. New drugs have been introduced for the care of lupus patients and better use of existing medications have resulted in better outcomes for lupus patients.

Despite these advances, much remains to be done. That is why we, in our final efforts as we close, have collaborated with a world class institution to ensure our community will be provided with continued support. We are proud to endorse an organization in our own backyard that shares many of our commitments to lupus patients: the Feinstein Lupus Center of Excellence.

The Mission of the Feinstein Lupus Center of Excellence is to provide specialized, state-of-the-art medical care for lupus patients and cutting edge clinical and molecular research that will advance effective and safe new therapeutics for lupus patients and result in better understanding of disease mechanisms leading to improved patient health and outcomes.

The Feinstein Lupus Center of Excellence is committed to providing care and educational resources to lupus patients. They offer information on medical advances, educational materials and access to support groups. Additionally, their physicians and scientists frequently participate in educational symposia and community events.

Although the Lupus Alliance of Long Island/Queens is closing its doors, we feel fortunate to have a local organization that shares our values and is nationally recognized for its many contributions to the lupus community. The Feinstein Lupus Center of Excellence has also provided generous financial support to our organization annually. We encourage you, our community, to support their mission to improve the lives of lupus patients.

For additional information about the Feinstein Lupus Center of Excellence, please email: LupusExcellence@Northwell.edu or call 877-33-LUPUS. To make a donation to support lupus research click on this link: Donate

With Gratitude,
Patricia D'Accolti - Executive Director
Board of Directors - Stephen Alberti, Dr. Cynthia Aranow, Kenneth Cox, Christopher Dennis, Dr. Richard Furie, Victor Fusco Esq, Larry Mercardante, Dr. Peter Rumore, and Mark Salsberg, Esq