Today Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) named Children’s National Health System our 20th Certified Duchenne Care Center.

PPMD’s Certified Duchenne Care Center Program, which supports standardized, comprehensive care and services for all people living with Duchenne, began certifying qualifying centers in 2014. 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.

Led by clinic directors Drs. Mathula Thangarajh (Neurology) and Sally Evans (PM&R), the Pediatric Neuromuscular Disorders Program at Children’s National Health System specializes in the diagnosis, treatment, and research of many neuromuscular diseases, including Duchenne.

“We are grateful to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy for this recognition. Gaining this certification underscores the high standards of our program and of Children’s National” says Sally Evans, M.D., Division Chief, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine. “It lets patients and specialists know to expect the best level of care from our hard-working, passionate team at Children’s National.”

Kathi Kinnett, MSN, CNP, PPMD’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Care and director of PPMD’s Certified Duchenne Care Center (CDCC) Program, is pleased that Children’s National Health System will now be included in the growing network of Duchenne care offered at the 20 Certified Duchenne Care Centers across the US.  “The Children’s National team has recently undergone many changes. They have worked with PPMD and the Duchenne community every step of the way to ensure that these changes have enhanced the care and services afforded to their families. They have also worked extremely hard to communicate those enhancements to the community, getting feedback which will allow continuous quality improvement for this center and for the Duchenne families engaged with this center. This is an amazing team of experienced, compassionate individuals. We could not be more proud to include them in the CDCC network.”

Kinnett says that since launching the program in 2014, PPMD receives weekly inquiries from centers 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 2018.”

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.