Lee Memorial Health System is partnering with the ALS
Association, Florida Chapter, to bring advanced care to
patients suffering from what’s commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s
disease.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is the most common
motor neuron disease among adults. Approximately 30,000 people in
the United States have ALS, and more than 5,000 people are diagnosed
each year. With the cause unknown and no cure as of yet, the disease
can be frustrating for patients and their families.
However, recent advances in research and improved medical care allow
many ALS patients to live longer and fuller lives.
Clinics across the country, in partnership with the ALS
Association, set the national standard for care. ALS Clinics, made
possible through joint ventures with leading institutions across the
country—such as LMHS—offer state-of-the-art services in a
supportive, family-oriented atmosphere. People with ALS experience a
wide range of complex symptoms that require a
coordinated approach by a variety of skilled physicians. To
accommodate the diverse medical needs of ALS patients, the clinics
coordinate the best of care from several health care specialties to
help the patients and their families find renewed hope and a better
quality of life.
The LMHS ALS Clinic at the Outpatient Center at Plantation
provides this kind of comprehensive care to ALS patients throughout
the region. The clinic, only the third of its kind in the state of
Florida, will serve Lee, Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hardee,
Hendry, Highlands, Monroe and Okeechobee counties.
Any patient with a confirmed diagnosis of ALS is welcome at the
LMHS ALS Clinic. Patients must first have a consultation with a
member of the neurology team before the first visit. During the
clinics, a maximum of eight patients are each given an exam room. A
special health care team consisting of a neurologist, nutritionist,
occupational therapist, physical therapist, social worker, speech
pathologist, and respiratory therapist—all
familiar with the unique challenges facing ALS patients, their
families and caregivers—rotate through the exam rooms, evaluating
each patient.
Clinics take place the second Saturday of each month at the
Outpatient Center at Plantation, 13601 Plantation Road, Suite 2,
Fort Myers, FL 33912.
For more information, contact Alan Cunningham, ALS Clinic
Director, at 239-336-6749.
To receive an evaluation/consultation, contact the Florida Neurology
Group at 239-936-3554.
For general information regarding ALS, call the ALS Association at
888-257-1717.
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