Our Most Important Program: Multidisciplinary ALS Clinics “Of all the things that we’ve ever found to fight ALS in 100 years of research, multidisciplinary clinics are the most powerful thing, and those only exist because of the charity of The ALS Association.” ~ Richard Bedlack, MD, PhD, Director, Duke ALS Clinic “The ALS Association North Carolina Chapter provides significant financial support for our multidisciplinary ALS center team and ALS research is dependent on the existence of ALS clinics. Funding from The ALS Association North Carolina Chapter is critical to the mission of the Wake Forest ALS Center. Without this funding, we would not be able to provide comprehensive care for our ALS patients.” ~ James Caress, MD, Director, Wake Forest ALS Center “Multidisciplinary clinics have been shown repeatedly to offer the best quality-of-life outcomes for our patients dealing with this devastating disorder. We are a team of specialists dedicated to providing care to pALS (people with ALS). We will continue to work to make our clinic a center of excellence for ALS treatment. We are thankful for the contin- ued support of The ALS Association North Carolina Chapter in helping provide the very best care for patients here in our community.” ~ Robert Frere, M.D., Medical Director, Jim “Catfish” Hunter ALS Clinic at Vidant Medical Center Multidisciplinary clinics provide the best possible care for people living with ALS. They improve quality of life, extend length of life and make clinical research in humans possible. They are the most important program we support. “The number one priority for our Chapter is to continue our significant partnership and support of all North Carolina ALS clinics,” said Jerry Dawson, President & CEO of The ALS Association North Carolina Chapter. “By funding ALS clinics, we en- sure that more than 800 patients each year are seen by an entire team of specialists devoted entirely to their care. We recognize that patients who attend ALS clinics live on average nearly a year longer than those who do not. “This is such a hopeful time. The ALS Association is the largest funder of ALS research in the world and clinical trials are at an all-time high,” he continued. “We know that these important trials cannot be effectively conducted without our support of multidisciplinary ALS clinics. We are so grateful to our supporters who understand our approach and help us achieve our vision of creating a world without ALS!” 5 “The multidisciplinary ALS clinic at Carolinas HealthCare System provides a coordinated approach to patient care. Our team is comprised of health professionals with a variety of specialties who meet regularly to discuss patients and to ensure they are receiving the best care possible. We are dedicated to providing patients with ALS with aggressive medical care, education and encouragement.” ~ Benjamin Rix Brooks, MD, Medical Director, Carolinas Neuromuscular/ ALS-MDA Center