QUINCY, MA, ISSUED August 4, 2019…The New England Food Allergy Treatment Center (NEFATC), based in West Hartford CT, has opened a new location in Quincy, MA, to treat patients with potentially severe food allergies. NEFATC-West Hartford, in operation for nearly a decade, successfully desensitizes patients to common food allergens using an exciting process called oral immunotherapy (OIT).
The Quincy location was opened to address the needs of people in the Boston area and beyond.
The Center in Quincy is led by Margaret Vallen, MD as well as John Johnson MD and Jeffrey M Factor MD, the Medical Director of the West Hartford Center. The state of the art Center, located at 700 Congress Street in Quincy, employs full time registered nurses as well as has 10 examination rooms to meet the needs of patients. The Center treats patients from age 2 and older. Its mission is to help desensitize children with potentially life-threatening food allergies, with a goal of providing a better quality of life for patients and their families.
According to Dr. Vallen, the program requires a commitment of up to a year. With careful monitoring, patients visit the Center every two weeks until the maintenance dose is reached. Daily doses are consumed at home with a physician on call 24/7 should a question arise. At its conclusion, patients with peanut allergy will be able to consume at least 4 peanut M & Ms daily or, for those with other food allergies, a predetermined amount of tree nuts, sesame, milk or egg.
While OIT does not cure the patient of his/her allergies, in the event of an accidental exposure an allergic reaction will not likely occur. This in turn should result in less worry, fear, and anxiety, and lead to an improved quality of life. The dosing of food allergens is done orally. No uncomfortable shots are involved in the treatment.
“The Center is very child and family friendly,” said Dr. Vallen, who added, “We are so excited about the work we are doing here. We invite the community to come and learn more about us.”
About Dr. Margaret Vallen
Dr. Vallen is a magna cum laude graduate of Gettysburg College, and earned her medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania (now known as Drexel Medical School). She is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine with subspecialty certification in Pulmonary and Critical Care, and she is certified by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology. She was elected into Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society at the end of her Chief Medical Residency.Dr. Vallen is on the staff of the South Shore Hospital and has been on staff at both The Boston Medical Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, a Fellow of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and a Fellow of the College of Chest Physicians. She is the mother of twins and resides with her husband on the South Shore. She is on the Board of South Shore SNAP-South Shore Special Needs Athletic partnership.
