SPOKANE, WA – A new continuing medical education (CME) series, developed by Washington State University’s Steve Gleason Institute for Neuroscience, will provide health care professionals with expert insights on research, resources, and techniques to better serve those with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Available on demand, in partnership with the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, each online course in the seven-part ALS Patient & Caregiver Series enhances a learner’s knowledge and skills to provide well-informed and empathetic care for patients with ALS.

“Part of the pivotal work we do at the Gleason Institute is to partner with health care institutions and professionals in ways that inform and empower their work with ALS patients,” said Ken Isaacs, director of the Steven Gleason Institute for Neuroscience. “We’re thrilled that our CMEs expand this outreach, providing access to all allied health practitioners.”

Through narratives from real families and presentations from nationally recognized experts, providers who take the course gain a robust approach to providing comprehensive support from initial assessment through treatment.

With an overall lifetime risk of 1 in 400 Americans, almost all healthcare professionals will care for persons with ALS during their career.

According to Ileana Howard, an expert presenter on ALS treatment and associate director of Neurology for ALS with the Veterans Health Administration, it is expected that health professionals will care for someone with ALS at some point. Howard noted that with an overall lifetime risk of 1 in 400 Americans, almost all healthcare professionals will care for persons with ALS during their career.

“Health care providers, speech-language pathologists, and occupational and physical therapists can gain a unique skill set and understanding of ALS,” said Isaacs. “This comprehensive series delivers elevated and impactful professional development to health providers on all fronts.”

The series offers enrollment in individual or all courses for CME credit through the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, accredited by the ACCME, to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Participants can customize their learning path to gain high-level overviews of ALS biology, diagnostics, treatments, and advances in therapeutics.

To learn more about each course in the ALS Patient & Caregiver series, visit the Steve Gleason Institute for Neuroscience website.