Pittsburgh, PA, June 7, 2023 - The UPMC-ALS Center, led by Tawfiq Al-Lahham, has achieved the designation of Certified Treatment Center of Excellence by the ALS Foundation. Certified treatment centers are defined as providing outstanding care and services to the regional patient population through multidisciplinary treatment, active involvement in research, and ongoing process improvement. It’s through a complex continuum of care and collaboration between providers, institutions, ALS Association territories that patients, families and caregivers and better prepared to address the challenges of living with ALS.
The designation was awarded after a year of completing a checklist of requirements - such as having a large, active clinic - and an in-person site visit by ALS personnel where they observed clinic operations for an entire day.
The requirements of the ALS Association’s Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence Programs include the following components:
- A strong relationship with the local ALS Association partner
- A multidisciplinary team of nursing and allied health professionals assigned to the patient population
- A neurologist with a specific knowledge base to evaluate and treat people living with the disease
- Active involvement in ALS-related research
- Ongoing process improvement initiatives
