Revolutionary New Clinic Offers Higher Quality of Life for ALS Patient

Ansley FrAnco

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a complex, incurable neurodegenerative disease that affects the motor neurons –neurons that control motor function in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord. Patient care includes going to several healthcare providers such as a neurologist, physical therapist and occupational therapist, etc.

“In order for us to take care of those patients, we need a multidisciplinary approach. You cannot ask a patient who has such a devastating diagnosis to go to visit all of those providers on separate occasions. A patient will simply spend their entire lifetime going to doctor’s appointments or medical providers’ appointments,” said Mohamed Kazamel, MD, ALS clinic co-director and associate professor in the Department of Neurology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s new ALS clinic allows a patient to see eight health care providers in one visit, with one co-pay. The patients will interact with their neurologist, physical and occupational therapist, dietitian, speech therapist, psychologist, social worker and respiratory therapist.

“Before the clinic, the patient typically does not see all the providers. We

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