Today Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy announced the expansion of our renowned Certified Duchenne Care Center (CDCC) Program with the pediatric certification of the clinic Phoenix Children’s, one of the nation’s fastest-growing pediatric healthcare systems.

This addition to the CDCC Program is the first certification in the state of Arizona, and expands the network as the first center to capture the broader Duchenne and Becker population living in the Southwest.

Rachel Schrader, MS, APRN, CPNP-PC, PPMD’s Vice President of Clinical Care and Education acknowledges the significance of the program’s growth to include Phoenix Children’s, as it expands the CDCC program in an area ripe for expansion of care for patients living with dystrophinopathy who otherwise often traveled a great distance to receive care at a CDCC:

“PPMD is mindful of the presence of care deserts throughout the country. We recognize the great needs of families in the Southwest living with dystrophinopathy, including those in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and beyond. This certification fills a critical gap for the network and offers optimal care to families in the area who are greatly in need. We are really thankful for the efforts of the team at Phoenix Children’s to achieve certification and are thrilled to announce their certification to the community today. Phoenix Children’s has done a wonderful job collaborating with Duchenne families in the community over the past several years to develop and refine their program to best serve the complex needs of families with Duchenne and Becker, and we are thrilled to see the fruits of that labor, as observed during our certification committee’s site visit in September.”

Phoenix Children’s serves a growing number of patients with dystrophinopathy – many of whom travel from out-of-state to seek care. Dr. Saunder Bernes, pediatric neurologist and director, neuromuscular program at Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children’s, shares:

“This certification gives parents and guardians the peace of mind knowing their child is receiving evidence-based, state-of-the-art care. By further expanding access to even more clinical trials, we are offering transformational therapies even closer to home. In addition to this certification, our program continues to grow with the addition of expanded clinic days and more providers available to patients.”

PPMD’s Certified Duchenne Care Center Program supports standardized, comprehensive care and services for all people living with Duchenne. Certification means centers maintain the highest standards in clinical and sub-specialty services, rapidly apply new evidence-based knowledge, minimize heterogeneity in clinical research outcomes, and comply with standards in clinical care that were established by the CDC’s Care Considerations. As part of its ongoing mission to end Duchenne, PPMD continues to insist that all people with Duchenne receive comprehensive care.

To learn more about PPMD’s Certified Duchenne Care Center Program, visit PPMD’s website. Click here to learn more about the history of PPMD’s Certified Duchenne Care Center Program and to access PPMD’s first published article on the program.