Press Release
Quality Care Centers
Restless Legs Syndrome
RLS
Stanford Sleep Medicine Center certified as WED/RLS Quality Care Center
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
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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