Center Is First in State to Win PPMD Certification for Duchenne Care
The Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital (HDVCH) in Michigan has been recognized as providing the highest quality of care for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Located in Grand Rapids, the hospital has become the first in the state to receive a certification from Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD).
HDVCH is now the 30th clinic in the U.S. to be certified through PPMD’s Certified Duchenne Care Center Program (CDCCP), which supports standardized, comprehensive healthcare and supportive services for all people affected by Duchenne. Certification means that the center maintains high standards in its delivery of clinical care, complies with nationally established care standards, and quickly implements lessons from research to improve care.
“We could not be more thrilled that HDVCH is now a Certified Duchenne Care Center,” DeAnne Friar, a member of the PPMD board of directors and a resident of Grand Rapids, said in a press release.
“It is comforting to know that we are getting the highest level of Duchenne care right here in Michigan,” said Friar, whose son receives care at HDVCH.
The clinic at HDVCH currently provides care to about 60 people with Duchenne or the related condition Becker muscular dystrophy. Led by co-directors Jena Krueger, MD, and Steven DeRoos, MD, the program is continuing to grow, according to PPMD.
In fact, the program is actively engaged in a number of clinical trial opportunities to ensure it can bring the latest cutting-edge treatments to patients receiving care.
“We are proud to partner with PPMD and honored to receive the CDCCP certification,” Krueger said. “Providing comprehensive, evidence-based, forward-thinking care is important, and we look forward to providing this next-level care to our patients across Michigan.”
According to Rachel Schrader, vice president of clinical care and education at PPMD, the certification of HDVCH is a welcome addition to PPMD’s network of Certified Duchenne Care Centers (CCDCs), which will help provide optimal care to people in Michigan and the surrounding region.
“For many years, families felt they needed to travel to other states to access standardized care at a CDCC. We are pleased that the certification of HDVCH brings a CDCC to the state of Michigan as well as improves access to care for so many families who live in the region,” Schrader said. “The team at Helen DeVos is doing great work, and we are excited to recognize that and share it with the community.”
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