Today Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) named Arkansas Children’s Hospital the 28th Certified Duchenne Care Center (CDCC). This expanding program of elite centers, created in 2014 as part of PPMD’s Certified Duchenne Care Center Program, reviews and recognizes clinics nationwide for their outstanding neuromuscular programs.

Arkansas Children’s is the only pediatric health system in Arkansas, and Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock serves families from Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Northern Texas. Many Duchenne families drive as far as four to six hours to see this team. Dr. Aravindhan Veerapandiyan, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and director of the comprehensive neuromuscular program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, began with the base of providers set by Dr. Vikki Stefans, an associate professor of pediatrics at UAMS in 1987 to build a comprehensive multidisciplinary team. Currently, Arkansas Children’s Hospital is a site for several clinical trials, offering patients the opportunity to receive care and to participate in groundbreaking research.

Kathi Kinnett, MSN, APRN, PPMD’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Care and director of PPMD’s Certified Duchenne Care Center (CDCC) Program praised both Dr. Veerapandiyan and his team:

“Dr. Veerapandiyan’s expertise, enthusiasm, and compassion for the Duchenne families seen at Arkansas Children’s is infectious. Building off the work of Dr. Stefans, he has amassed an amazing group of providers who offer not only a complete array of recommended care and services to both patients and families, but opportunities to participate in Duchenne clinical trials. This is no small undertaking. We are thrilled that the Arkansas Children’s Hospital is part of our growing CDCC network and that local Duchenne families can benefit from the exceptional care they provide.”

Dr. Veerapandiyan appreciates PPMD’s recognition of the clinic he leads:

“The Comprehensive Neuromuscular Program at Arkansas Children’s is dedicated to helping children and adolescents with neuromuscular disorders, live better, fuller lives. We offer a robust clinical and state of the art research program that features comprehensive care to patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their families. Providing a standardized, transparent, and evidence based care to people with this devastating condition is critical to improve their quality of life. We are extremely honored to be recognized by PPMD. Our neuromuscular program includes a group of experts from rehabilitation, nursing, care coordination, pulmonology, cardiology, endocrinology, physical therapy, neuropsychology, gastroenterology, nutrition therapy, social services, and orthopedics. I am exceptionally thankful to my colleagues for this achievement”

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 Care Considerations. As part of its ongoing mission to end Duchenne, PPMD continues to insist that all people with Duchenne receive comprehensive care.

Kinnett says that since launching the program in 2014, PPMD receives weekly inquiries from centers, both in the US and abroad, interested in applying for certification.

“Families in our community turn to PPMD to help identify the centers in the country providing the best in comprehensive Duchenne care and services. Clinics and clinicians are realizing the value of the Certified Duchenne Care Center Program and therefore strive to be the best facility they can be for Duchenne patients and families. Industry, also, is recognizing the value of including patients in their studies, receiving standardized Duchenne care and, thus, strengthening the outcome measures in their clinical trials. As the importance of a set of standards and guidelines in clinical care are recognized globally, PPMD looks forward to expanding this program internationally in the New Year by partnering with other patient advocacy groups. We also look forward to more certifications in the U.S. in 2019.”

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.