Huntington’s Disease Society of America Announces Fifty-Four 2021 HDSA Centers of Excellence
New York, NY (February 2, 2021) – The Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) is proud to announce that fifty-four outstanding Huntington’s disease care facilities are being awarded the designation of HDSA Centers of Excellence for 2021. The HDSA Centers of Excellence are multi-disciplinary care teams with expertise in Huntington’s disease that share an exemplary commitment to providing comprehensive care.
The strategic expansion of the HDSA Center of Excellence program allows expanded access to expert HD clinical care and clinical trial opportunities to more families across the United States. With new Centers in Arizona, Arkansas, New Jersey, Mississippi, Ohio and South Carolina, HDSA now offers care locations in 35 States plus the District of Columbia. This year, HDSA will be awarding $1,750,000 to the Centers of Excellence program.
The 2021 HDSA Centers of Excellence program expanded to 54 Centers from 50 in 2020, and from just 20 in 2015. The new HDSA Centers of Excellence are: Barrow Neurological Institute (Arizona), Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, Rowan University School of Medicine & Rutgers University RWJ Medical School (NJ), University of Arkansas, University of Cincinnati (OH), and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
In addition, HDSA designated the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School as a new regional HDSA Center of Excellence because of their partnerships with Covenant Medical Group Neurology in Lubbock, Texas, Texas Movement Disorders Specialists in Georgetown, Texas and the University of Texas Health San Antonio. These new clinics will lower the burden on families and increase access to expert HD care throughout Texas and the surrounding areas. This brings the number of regional partner clinics to eight and the overall number of HDSA-supported clinics to 62.
“The expansion of the HDSA Centers of Excellence program ensures that more families affected by Huntington’s disease have increased access to expert and comprehensive care for this devastating rare brain disease,” said Dr. Victor Sung, Chair of HDSA’s National Board of Trustees and Director of the HDSA Center of Excellence at The University of Alabama, Birmingham. “Additionally, clinical research conducted at many HDSA Centers of Excellence is vital to the development of potentially life-changing treatments to improve the lives of everyone affected by HD.”
The HDSA Centers of Excellence provide an elite team approach to Huntington’s disease care and research. Patients benefit from expert neurologists, psychiatrists, therapists, counselors and other professionals who have extensive experience working with families affected by HD and who work collaboratively to help families plan the best HD care program throughout the course of the disease. Applications to become an HDSA Center of Excellence are open to all clinics in the United States who share HDSA’s commitment to high-quality, comprehensive care and access to clinical research.
Louise Vetter, President & CEO of HDSA added, “HDSA Centers of Excellence share a common dedication to HD families. We are thankful to the clinical care teams who are able to provide incredible care with these modest awards and to the families whose generous support of HDSA’s mission make these awards possible.”
Huntington’s disease is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities during their prime working years and has no cure. Every child of a parent with HD has a 50/50 chance of inheriting the faulty gene that causes HD. Today, there are approximately 41,000 symptomatic Americans and more than 200,000 at-risk of inheriting the disease. The symptoms of HD are described as having, ALS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s – simultaneously.
The 2021 HDSA Center of Excellence grantees are listed below alphabetically:
BOLD = Newly designated Center of Excellence for 2021
- Albany Medical College (NY)
- Barrow Neurological Institute (AZ)
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (MA)
- Cleveland Clinic (OH)
- Columbia Health Sciences/NYS Psychiatric Institute (NY)
- Duke University (NC)
- Emory University (GA)
- Georgetown University (DC)
- Hennepin County Medical Center (MN)
- Henry Ford Hospital (MI)
- Indiana University
- Johns Hopkins University (MD)
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Medical University of South Carolina
- Northwestern University (IL)
- Ochsner Health System (LA)
- Ohio State University
- Rocky Mountain Movement Disorders Clinic (CO)
- Rowan University School of Medicine & Rutgers University RWJ Medical School (NJ)
- Rush University Medical Center (IL)
- Sanford Health (ND)
- Stanford University (CA)
- Stony Brook University Hospital (NY)
- University of Alabama, Birmingham
- University of Arkansas
- University of Buffalo (NY)
- University of California, Davis Medical Center
- University of California, Irvine
- University of California, Los Angeles
- University of California, San Diego
- University of California, San Francisco
- University of Cincinnati (OH)
- University of Colorado
- University of Florida
- University of Iowa
- University of Kansas Medical Center
- University of Louisville (KY)
- University of Miami (FL)
- University of Mississippi Medical Center
- University of Nebraska Medical Center
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (PA)
- University of Rochester (NY)
- University of South Carolina School of Medicine
- University of South Florida
- University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School
- University of Utah
- University of Vermont, Frederick Binter Center for Parkinson’s Disease & Movement Disorders
- University of Virginia
- University of Washington (WA)
- University of Wisconsin
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center (TN)
- Virginia Commonwealth University
- Washington University School of Medicine (MO)
Level 1 Partner HD Clinics
- Covenant Medical Group Neurology, Lubbock, TX
- Kaiser Permanente (CA)
- Oregon Health Sciences University
- Cole Neuroscience Center, University of Tennessee Medical Center
- Texas Movement Disorders Specialist, PLLC
- University of Tennessee, Erlanger Medical Center
- University of Texas Health San Antonio
- University of South Alabama
Click here to visit the HDSA Centers of Excellence page.
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The Huntington’s Disease Society of America (HDSA) is the premier nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of everyone affected by HD. From community services and education to advocacy and research, HDSA is the world’s leader in providing help for today, hope for tomorrow for people with HD and their families. Support for the 2021 HDSA Centers of Excellence was made possible in part by the generosity of the Griffin Foundation.
To learn more about Huntington’s disease and the work of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, visit www.hdsa.org or call (800) 345-HDSA.
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Phone: (212) 242-1968 x229
Email: ccosentino@hdsa.org
