ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine (FMM), MitoAction, the Mitochondrial Medicine Society (MMS) and the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) today collectively announce an important new initiative to create a Mitochondrial Care Network (Network). The goals for the Mitochondrial Care Network, the first of its kind, are to formally unify clinicians who provide medical care to individuals with mitochondrial disease; to define, design and implement best practices in mitochondrial medicine; and to optimize management and care for patients with mitochondrial disease.
Any clinician in the United States who provides care to patients with
mitochondrial disease can apply to join the pilot phase of the Network.
Factors for consideration in the Network will include, but are not
limited to, current and prior patient volume, multidisciplinary approach
and hospital/center support. This exciting initiative offers clinical
and scientific challenges, opportunities and rewards. Additionally,
participants will play a pivotal role in identifying underserved
patients and providing highly needed services for them, as well as
contributing to an expanding knowledge base that promises better care
for the future. The Request for Application can be found at: https://goo.gl/qXaiP4.
Deadline
for submission is February 28, 2018.
“We are excited about this major collaboration among the patient advocacy groups and the MMS because the Network will help continually improve the standard of care for mitochondrial disease in the United States,” said Amy Goldstein, M.D., President of the Mitochondrial Medicine Society. “The Network will be an organized group of individual Mitochondrial Medicine Centers (MMCs) that will build on current consensus guidelines for diagnosis and care and significantly improve patient outcomes by sharing knowledge. We strongly encourage all interested parties to apply.”
The organizations recognize that without collective knowledge of treatment guidelines, clinicians approach patients in a trial-and-error manner. Working together, the groups plan for a better defined natural history of the disease and better understanding by clinicians, patients and patient families.
“By combining our efforts and information base, the Network will offer consistency for proper evaluation and diagnosis for primary mitochondrial disease and provide comprehensive medical care to individuals with primary mitochondrial disease,” said Kira Mann, CEO of MitoAction. “We are enthusiastic that the Network will address the unmet needs of clinical care for many patients with mitochondrial disease and lead to an expanding knowledge base that will result in better care for the future.”
The Mitochondrial Care Network Governance Board will be responsible for final decisions on selecting Centers for the initial pilot phase and eventual expansion of the Network. Members of the Board include Laura Stanley, Executive Director for FMM; Kira Mann, CEO of MitoAction, Amy Goldstein, M.D., Amel Karaa, M.D., and Sumit Parikh M.D. of the Mitochondrial Medicine Society; and Phil Yeske, Ph.D., Science and Alliance Officer of the UMDF.
The Board seeks a diverse group of Centers for the pilot phase to determine the full scope, clinical priorities, implementation of standards of care and long term desired outcomes of the Network. For questions, please contact info@mitonetwork.org. More information on the partnering organizations is available at www.mitochondrialdiseases.org; www.mitoaction.org; www.umdf.org and www.mitosoc.org.
Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine:
Facebook: facebook.com/Foundation
for Mitochondrial Medicine
Twitter: @FoundMM
MitoAction:
Facebook: facebook.com/MitoAction
Twitter:
@MitoAction
United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation:
Facebook: facebook.com/United
Mitochondrial Disease Foundation
Twitter: @UMDF