Cleveland Clinic receives $1.5 million gift for immunology center

The namesake foundation for the Cleveland Clinic’s Richard J. Fasenmyer Center for Clinical Immunology will give an additional $1.5 million to the center. The money will be used to remodel and provide a dedicated physical space for the organization.

“We’re currently have a center without walls,” said Dr. Leonard Calabrese, who oversees the center.

The center resides within the Clinic’s Orthopaedic and Rheumatologic Institute. But the new vision creates a dedicated space in the same building with a 50- to 75-person meeting room for education sessions, a smaller room for business meetings and dedicated patient-care rooms.

Construction will start this year and likely end in the fall.

The center’s focus includes research and treatment of HIV, autoimmune diseases and chronic viral illnesses. Most of the money will be used to renovate the center, while about 15 percent will be used to market and prepare educational sessions, Calabrese said.