Tennessee's RLS Quality Care Center

The RLS Foundation offers a network of certified RLS Quality Care Centers (QCCs) around the U.S. and Europe. These QCCs are renowned for their outstanding performance in the field, and are staffed by leading RLS specialists who provide expert care and specialized disease management.

Among these Centers is Vanderbilt University Medical Center, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the Vanderbilt Sleep Disorders Center has won a Five Star Excellence Award four years in a row for scoring in the top 10 percent of clinics in the U.S. for patient satisfaction. The Center offers specialized care for sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, insomnia and other general sleep problems. At the helm of this RLS Quality Care Center is Arthur S. Walters, MD, serving as QCC Director.

Throughout his career, Dr. Walters has focused his research on sleep-related movement disorders. Additionally, as the founder and first chair of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG), he helped establish the universal clinical criteria for the diagnosis of RLS.

He also played an integral role in the history of the Foundation, going back as far as 1992 when the Foundation received its nonprofit status. Dr. Walters was a key player in establishing and validating the first scale to be used for the measurement of RLS severity, a scale that is now the most widely used for measuring RLS severity in both academic and industry sponsored studies. He is currently serving as chair of the Foundation's Pediatrics Committee, and is also a member of the Opiate Committee.

“Dr. Walters served as the first Chair of the Medical Advisory Board," Executive Director Karla Dzienkowski said. "Under his leadership, he set the scope and role the MAB would serve as an Advisory Board to the Board of Directors. We are thankful to Dr. Walters for his continued work with the organization, as well as fostering the growth of other clinicians and researchers in the RLS field.”

Other certified healthcare providers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center include:

• Kanika Bagai, MSCI, MD
• Jennifer Hensley, EdD, CNM, WHNP, LCCE
• Beth Ann Malow, MS, MD
• Althea Robinson-Shelton, MD
• Raghu Pishka Upender, MD

Vanderbilt’s location in Nashville makes it accessible to individuals in various regions of the U.S. that are seeking expert care in the treatment of RLS. The Vanderbilt Quality Care Center has one of the largest staffs of certified healthcare providers in our QCC network, and they treat both children and adults living with RLS. To make an appointment, call 1-615-936-0060.

To achieve certification, Centers undergo review by the RLS Foundation's Scientific and Medical Advisory Board (SMAB), and must demonstrate a high level of expertise and experience treating restless legs syndrome. To learn more about the qualifications and how to apply, click here.