A new educational resource from The ALS Association, Including the Multidisciplinary Team Approach in Your Care, is now available. The guide provides an overview of the multidisciplinary team approach to care, describes a typical clinic visit, and discusses additional options for care and support from providers outside of the core care team.

“People living with ALS can maintain independence longer and enjoy improved quality of life when given options for symptom management, assistive technology, adaptive equipment, education, care services, and emotional support,” says Kimberly Maginnis, senior vice president for Care Services for The ALS Association. “Our certified centers and clinics follow a multidisciplinary care model, bringing together a team of health and social care professionals who are experts in addressing the needs of people living with ALS and their families.”

The ALS Association collaborates with many experienced ALS clinicians across the U.S. to help ensure people living with ALS have access to specialized care. The ALS Association’s Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence and Recognized Treatment Centers provide compassionate care in a supportive, family-oriented atmosphere.

Centers achieving either of these designations meet program requirements and follow recommended best practices as outlined in the American Academy of Neurology Practice Parameter, and collaborate with their local Association Chapter to offer care and support to people living with ALS and their families.

“My husband and I began making quarterly visits to an ALS clinic shortly after he was diagnosed with ALS,” says Valerie Torretti, the wife of Gary Torretti, who is living with ALS and supported by The ALS Association Greater Philadelphia Chapter. “We could not have gotten through this traumatic time in our lives without the encouraging support from the dedicated team there. Their tests, evaluations, and support have been invaluable in guiding us through this devastating illness.”

“The Centers are the most comprehensive way for us to manage patients,” says Dr. Todd Levine with The ALS Association Certified Treatment Center of Excellence at Phoenix Neurological Associates in Phoenix. “People who come to the Centers live longer and receive a personal and hopeful approach to their care, which is a hugely important aspect of what we do.

The new resource guide was developed based on recommendations from the ALS community and is available online.