The ALS Association and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have entered into a partnership to help improve the lives of Veterans living with ALS by increasing the number of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinics that are designated as Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence and Recognized Treatment Centers. The Association and VA will also work together to make veterans aware of ALS Association chapters, educate VHA staff on best practices, create educational materials for Veterans, and provide veterans and VHA staff with opportunities to become more involved in their community and advocate for those affected by ALS.

“The ALS Association is committed to helping all veterans living with ALS and their loved ones, and we are grateful to the VA for their partnership in helping serve them,” said Neil Thakur, Ph.D., Chief Mission Officer of The ALS Association. “Access to multidisciplinary care helps people living with ALS live longer. Through this partnership, we can increase the number of VHA clinics designated as Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence, which will directly impact the lives of veterans living with ALS and their loved ones.”

For reasons that are not yet clear, U.S. military Veterans have an increased risk of developing ALS. The Association has worked with Congress to increase funding for ALS research including determining why Veterans can be at greater risk. The Association’s mission is to discover treatments and cures for ALS, while making ALS livable for all.

VA has recognized ALS as a service-connected disease, and so the department provides financial and medical support to Veterans who have at least 90 continuous days of active duty. This partnership will combine VA’s resources and knowledge with those of the ALS Association; together the partners will bring more services to Veterans with ALS.

For more information, including how Veterans can apply for benefits, please visit: als.org/navigating-als/military-veterans/how-apply-benefits