Mayo's ALS clinic certified as the only ALS Center in Florida

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

The ALS Association (ALSA) has certified the ALS clinic at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. The clinic becomes the only certified ALSA Center in Florida, one of only two in the Southeast, and the 25th center nationally to achieve this recognition. ALSA selects, certifies and supports distinguished regional institutions recognized as the best in the field with regard to experience managing ALS and knowledge about the disease.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

"The certification of The ALS Association's first Center in the Sunshine State is an important milestone for the people in the region living with ALS and for those who take care of them," says ALSA President and CEO Gary Leo. "The certification sends a ray of hope and a clear and comforting message to the ALS community that the clinic has been meeting our high standards."

"We enthusiastically support the certification of the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. The exemplary care along with ALSA Florida Chapter community services are an important part of the continuum of care for people living with ALS, their caregivers, families and friends." says Dara Alexander, President of the Florida Chapter. "This will take ALS care to the next level in Florida by expanding patient care and research."

To become a certified ALSA Center SM, an ALS clinic must provide state-of-the-art care and clinical management and work collaboratively with other ALS centers to enhance patient care. In certifying Mayo's ALS clinic ALSA stated, "The major strengths of the clinic are the quality of care, affability of the staff, sensitivity toward patient needs, and breadth of its services, all available on the day the clinic meets."

Mayo Clinic neurologist Dr. Kevin Boylan, formed the ALS clinic in Jacksonville and serves as its medical director. He leads a multidisciplinary team that provides patients with comprehensive evaluation and treatment designed to maximize their physical function and quality of life. The ALS care team includes neurologists, a pulmonologist, gastroenterologist, psychologist, psychiatrist, a sleep medicine specialist, an occupational therapist, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, speech pathologists, dietitians, a social worker, nurse coordinator and a research coordinator.

"We have a very dedicated group of health care professionals involved with our ALS clinic." Boylan says. "We are honored to receive certification of the ALS clinic by the ALS Association, because this designation recognizes the high level of service we try to provide."

Boylan says ALS is difficult illness to live with and a difficult one to manage. "We don't have a cure yet, but we are seeing progress in improving care for people with ALS," he says. "A comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to ALS care is important in managing the wide range of problems that can occur in ALS. This is the goal of the ALS clinic. The ALS clinic also offers opportunities to participate in research studies that we hope will help determine the cause of ALS and lead to improved treatment."

ALS causes degeneration of the nerve cells in certain regions of the brain and spinal cord that control a person's voluntary muscles. Patients eventually lose the ability to move their limbs and control muscles needed to breathe. ALSA estimates 30,000 Americans are living with the disease at any given time.

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