The University of Miami established a multidisciplinary center for ALS patients, thanks to a $1.75 million dollar donation from Mark Kessenich, Jr. who was diagnosed with ALS four years ago. The new center provides services not only for Florida residents, but also for North, Central America, South America and the Caribbean Islands. The major objective of the Kessenich Family MDA ALS Center is to provide services to patients and their families suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, from the time of diagnosis throughout the course of the illness. The Center also provides educational material and a database available through the Internet to provide information and contacts for ALS patients and theif families. The Center is under the direction of Walter G. Bradley, D.M., F.R.C.P., Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurology and Ginna P. Gonzalez, BSN, RN, Nurse Director of the Center.

Welcome to the first issue of the newsletter of the Kessenich Family MDA ALS Center. To all of you who read this, I want to convey the excitement that we who are working in the Kessenich Center are feeling at this time. We are now doing something that I have dreamed of for years, offering to ALS patients and their families a comprehensive multi-disciplinary team who can care for almost every aspect that is affected by this disease. In the 12 months since Mark Kessenich, Jr., and I first began discussing this concept, we have achieved an extraordinary series of successes. Mr. Kessenich, his family and friends have raised a great deal of money to endow the Kessenich Clinic and start its operation with "a bang". We have brought together our team and begun working together to learn more about ALS and also each or our own areas of special expertise. We have had 3 monthly clinics on one Saturday a month in the University of Miami Hospital and Clinics. We are able to see about 10-12 patients and their families at each clinic. The services that we can provide with our team have been extremely well received by our patients and their families. This is such a change from the usual medical model of having to see a doctor and then make several other trips to consult with other specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, etc. At each of the clinics, we have had highly successful Support Group Meetings. These bring together not only the patient and their families attending the clinic that day, but also some of our patients and families. We have two separate Support Group Meetings, one for Spanish and one for English speakers. We are beginning to identify volunteers to assist in the development of our Support Groups, and welcome offers

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