James J. Peters Dept. of VA Medical Center is awarded as a “Treatment Center of Excellence”

On Veterans Day we celebrated the service of our nation’s heroes and military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. In order to improve the lives of Veterans living with ALS and their loved ones, The ALS Association and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) entered into a partnership to increase the number of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) clinics that are designated as Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence and Recognized Treatment Centers. That is why we are proud to announce that the James J. Peters Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center has successfully received certification as a “Treatment Center of Excellence” from the ALS Association. 

To commemorate this milestone, the association awarded Dr. Marinella Galea, Chief of Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders, Director of the ALS Clinic, Co-Director of MS Regional Center at The James J. Peters VAMC on October 20, with a plaque marking its designation. “We are proud of the longstanding commitment that the Bronx VA’s ALS Center and our chapter have had together providing excellent care and supportive services to people with ALS in the community and beyond,” said Kristen Cocoman, President & CEO of The ALS Association Greater New York Chapter. 

To become certified as a Certified Treatment Center of Excellence, each clinic must meet The ALS Association’s clinical care and treatment standards, based on AAN Practice Parameters, participate in ALS-related research, and successfully complete a comprehensive site review. “We are delighted to have been awarded the ALS Association Certified Treatment Center prestigious certification which places the James J Peters VA Medical Center ALS clinic among the finest in the country. This accomplishment is a testament to the outstanding care the VA interdisciplinary ALS team provides to our Veterans with ALS,” said Dr. Galea. 

The ALS Center of Excellence is one of 75 ALS Association-certified centers in the United States and one of six in New York State. The Center provides comprehensive treatment for ALS patients and supportive services for patients and their families. Geared toward helping patients live more productively and independently, the VA Medical Center provides a coordinated program of medical treatment, rehabilitation techniques, and psychological support in the newly opened The James J. Peters VA Spinal Cord Injury/ Disorder (SCI/D) Center.