Stanford Sleep Medicine Center certified as WED/RLS Quality Care Center

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Rochester, Minn. – December 10, 2014 – The Willis-Ekbom Disease (WED) Foundation has certified the Stanford Cente...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Rochester, Minn. – December 10, 2014 – The Willis-Ekbom Disease (WED) Foundation has certified the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine in Redwood City , California, as a WED/RLS Quality Care Center for patients with Willis-Ekbom disease (also known as restless legs syndrome, or WED/RLS).

Stanford is the fifth institution to join the Foundation’s program, which aims to improve quality of care for people with Willis-Ekbom disease. An estimated 2 to 3 percent of adults need clinical treatment for the disease, a chronic neurological disorder that can severely disrupt sleep and reduce quality of life.  

Juliane Winkelmann, MD, a member of the Stanford Department of Neurology & Neurological Sciences and the Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine at Stanford says, “As the birthplace of sleep medicine, Stanford has driven considerable growth in sleep research and treatment. Our partnership with the WED Foundation will help improve the quality of life for individuals living with Willis-Ekbom disease by guaranteeing the highest standard of care.”

The WED Foundation has established a network of certified WED/RLS Quality Care Centers to improve diagnosis and treatment of the disease worldwide. Certified providers have a high level of expertise and experience treating WED/RLS patients. Patients and families benefit through:
  • Recognition of clinics as leaders in the field and as specialty centers for patients who are traveling or in search of knowledgeable healthcare providers
  • Availability of clinic staff as information resources for referring primary care providers
  • Patient educational offerings, print materials and connections with WED Foundation local support groups

Other clinics certified as WED/RLS Quality Care Centers include the Johns Hopkins Center for Restless Legs Syndrome in Baltimore, Md.; the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine in Rochester, Minn.; the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; and the Innsbruck Medical University, Department of Neurology, Sleep Lab and Sleep Disorders Outpatient Clinic in Innsbruck, Austria.

“Access to a higher quality of care is vital,” says WED Foundation Executive Director Karla Dzienkowski. “Every day, the Foundation hears from individuals who are searching for experienced practitioners to help manage their disease. Effective treatment is essential, and our objective is to help healthcare providers meet this need. We are pleased to welcome such a distinguished group of physicians and researchers at Stanford to our Quality Care Center program. We look forward to collaborating with them in advancing the quality of care for WED/RLS patients.”

To learn more about the WED/RLS Quality Care Center Program, visit www.willis-ekbom.org/quality-care-program.

About the WED Foundation
The WED Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of men, women and children who live with Willis-Ekbom disease (restless legs syndrome, or WED/RLS). Founded in 1989, the Foundation’s goals are to increase awareness, improve treatments, and through research, find a cure. The Foundation serves healthcare providers, researchers, over 5,000 members, and an estimated seven million individuals in the United States and Canada who have the disease. The WED Foundation Research Grant Program has awarded $1.4 million to fund medical research on WED/RLS causes and treatments. For more information, visit www.willis-ekbom.org.

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