FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Austin, TX June 3, 2016 – Scripps Clinic Viterbi Family Sleep Center in San Diego has been certified as a restless legssyndrome (RLS) Quality Care Center by the RLS Foundation. This certification recognizes Vanderbilt as a specialty center for treating RLS patients with a range of complexities and comorbidities.

RLS (also known asWillis-Ekbom disease) is a chronic neurological disorder affecting millions of people, with often devastating impact on quality of life; an estimated 2 to 3 percent of adults need clinical treatment for RLS.

J. Steven Poceta, MD, director the RLS Quality Care Center at Scripps Clinic, says, “At Scripps Clinic, we are honored to be recognized as an RLS Quality Care Center. This designation is not about us, however – it is about increasing awareness of RLS for people who are undiagnosed and about trying to improve the lives of patients who have RLS. We hope that this RLS Quality Care Center designation is the beginning of more research and better treatment of patients.”

The RLS Foundation coordinates a network of certified RLS Quality CareCenter to improve diagnosis and treatment of the disease worldwide. Centers must meet rigorous criteria that demonstrate a high level of expertise and experience treating patients who have RLS.

The program benefits patients and families through:

“We are pleased to welcome the distinguished and experienced RLS providers at Scripps Clinic to our Quality Care Center network,” says RLS Foundation Executive Director Karla Dzienkowski. “At the RLS Foundation, we receive calls every day from people who are seeking expert care to help manage their RLS symptoms. RLS Quality Care Centers provide access to certified providers who are experts in the diagnosis, treatment and management of RLS. This leads to improving quality of life for these patients as well as their families.”

Other certified RLS Quality Care Centers include:

To learn more about the RLS Quality Care Center Program, visit www.rls.org/quality-care-program/qcc-overview.

The RLS Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of men, women and children who live with restless legs syndrome (RLS, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease). Founded in 1989, the Foundation’s goals are to increase awareness, improve treatments and through research, find a cure for RLS. The Foundation serves healthcare providers, researchers, 4,000 members and an estimated seven million individuals in the United States and Canada who have RLS. The RLS Foundation Research Grant Program has awarded $1.6 million to fund medical research on RLS causes and treatments. For more information, visit www.rls.org.