NEW ORLEANS (March 12, 2024) – Today, LSU Health New Orleans’ ALS Clinic was recognized as an ALS Association Certified Treatment Center of Excellence, making it one of only two designated centers in Louisiana.

With an annual estimate of 5,000 ALS diagnoses in the United States, the LSU Health New Orleans ALS Clinic is committed to providing exemplary interprofessional care to individuals facing the challenges of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease). Under the leadership of Medical Directors Drs. Rima El-Abassi and Stephen Kantrow, the experienced and compassionate team works closely with patients and their families to maximize their health, functioning and ability using available therapy, equipment, exercise and nutrition.

“The ALS Association designation as a Certified Treatment Center of Excellence underscores LSU Health New Orleans’ commitment to providing quality care, fostering collaborations and actively engaging in ALS-related research,” says LSU Health New Orleans Chancellor, Dr. Steve Nelson.

The ALS Clinic provides a streamlined health care approach, bringing together neurologists, social workers, a registered dietitian, occupational and physical therapists, a respiratory therapist, a speech-language pathologist, and a patient care representative from the ALS Association. This collaborative effort ensures that patients can see all their providers in one setting, simplifying their health care experience.

“In the search for meaning in our lives and in our work, no place is richer and more filled with grace and compassion than the multidisciplinary ALS clinic,” says clinic Co-Director, Dr. Stephen Kantrow. “For all of us who work in this clinic, and for the students who join us there, the opportunity to care for each other finds its fullest expression.”

In addition to comprehensive care, the LSU Health New Orleans ALS Clinic serves as a training ground for LSU Health New Orleans students from the schools of Medicine and Allied Health. Students gain valuable experience, learning from the clinic's interprofessional team and taking that knowledge into the community.

In addition to being an ALS Center of Excellence, the LSU Health New Orleans ALS Clinic is also a Muscular Dystrophy Association designated center and an Amyotrophic Lateral Association recognized treatment center.

To learn more about LSU Health New Orleans ALS Clinic, visit lsuhn.com

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About LSU Health New Orleans
LSU Health New Orleans educates Louisiana's health care professionals. The state's health sciences university leader, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine with campuses in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the state's only School of Dentistry, Louisiana's only public School of Public Health and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing, and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous annual economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment   and cure disease.