The ALS Association

South Texas Chapter

8600 Wurzbach, Suite 700
San Antonio, TX 78240

(210) 733-5204

Toll Free (877) 257-4673

Fax (210) 733-5206

Email the South Texas Chapter

The ALS Association

National Office

27001 Agoura Road, Suite 150
Calabasas Hills, CA 91301-5104
Phone: (818) 880-9007
Fax: (818) 880-9006

ALSA National Website
Email the National Office

The ALS Association

and the

South Texas Chapter

What We Do

The ALS Association is the only national not-for-profit health organization dedicated solely to the fight against ALS. ALSA covers all the bases - research, patient and community services, public education, and advocacy - in providing help and hope to those facing the disease. The mission of The ALS Association (ALSA) is to find a cure for and improve living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Research

The Association's multifaceted research program includes peer-reviewed investigator-initiated scientific studies, cure-directed ALSA-initiated research and scientific workshops focusing on supporting ALS researchers. Such nationally recognized research is conducted right here in San Antonio at The University of Texas, Health Science Center.

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Since 1991, ALSA has awarded nearly $27 million to fund research seeking to identify the cause, means of prevention, and cure for ALS. Currently, ALSA-funded scientists are looking into 15 different research areas relevant to ALS. Twice annually ALSA invites researchers to submit proposals for consideration. ALSA awards multi-year and starter grants as well as an annual post-doctoral fellowship. Awards for investigator-initiated research total close to $2 million annually. At any given time there are some 70 studies in progress representing a total ALSA commitment of $7.8 to $8 million.

ALSA also initiates scientific studies through its aggressive "cure-directed" program. Launched in 2000, this effort complements and works in tandem with the investigator-initiated research by engaging established investigators with extensive expertise and applying the most advanced technology to answer the more complex questions about ALS that must be answered - answers that will lead to effective treatments and a cure. Currently there are 40 active projects representing a total commitment of $5.85 million.

The ALS Association has also created the Post-Doctoral fellowship grant program. This program gives scientists who have recently earned a doctorate in scientific research the opportunity to work closely with a principle researcher in an established laboratory working in the field of ALS, neurodegenerative diseases or other areas relevant to ALS research.

Advocacy

The ALSA network plays a lead role in advocacy for increased public and private support of ALS research and health care reform that responds to the demands imposed by ALS. ALSA's advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. have raised the profile of ALS at the White House, among members of Congress, and within federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Social Security Administration. Thanks to the participation of advocates throughout the ALS community, ALS was included among only twenty-eight diseases in the Department of Defense 2003 Appropriations bill $50 million Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program.

Every May, ALSA leads a contingent of ALS patients, advocates, and caregivers to Capitol Hill for National ALS Advocacy Day. People have visited Washington, D.C. from 39 states, to raise awareness of ALS. In an historic victory for the ALS community, ALSA's efforts led Congress to waive the 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage of people diagnosed with ALS as part of the fiscal year 2001 spending bill. Elimination of this waiting period will positively affect the lives of people with ALS and provide them access to the care they need in a timely manner. against the disease.

Patient and Community Services

ALSA helps patients and families cope with the day to day challenges of living with ALS by providing information, resources, and referrals to many sources, including a wide variety of community services. ALSA's chapters provide localized patient and family support in communities across the country. To better serve people with ALS and their families, ALSA is continuing to work with its network of free-standing support groups to expand the number of ALSA chapters nationwide.

Each month, ALSA chapters nationwide collectively serve thousands of patients. Our nationwide network of certified ALS clinics, of which the South Texas Chapter is one, provides state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary ALS care and services in a supportive atmosphere with an emphasis on hope and quality of life. To become certified as one of these centers of excellence, an ALS clinic must achieve national prominence, meet rigorous clinical care standards, and pass a comprehensive site inspection.

Public Education & Awareness

Through public outreach, media relations, and the Internet, ALSA continually raises awareness about ALS and the search for a cure. Each month many thousands of viewers visit ALSA websites that are a vital source of information for those battling ALS, and for people looking for the latest news and information about the disease. Our newsletter, A Reason for Hope, has a large readership, and can be obtained through direct mail or read an downloaded online.

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