The ALS Association Awards 8 Hoffman ALS Clinic Development & Capacity Awards to Expand Access to Life-Enhancing Multidisciplinary ALS Care

Funding aims to bring high quality ALS care closer to home and more accessible for people living with ALS nationwide

ARLINGTON, Va., July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The ALS Association announced inaugural recipients of the Hoffman ALS Clinic Development and Capacity Awards, new grant programs established to expand access to multidisciplinary ALS care in communities across the country. These awards support the creation of new Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence^® and Recognized Treatment Centers^® in underserved communities, as well as the expansion of existing clinics through additional clinic days and enhanced telehealth services.

In 1989, the ALS Association established a certification program that designates Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence^® and Recognized Treatment Centers^® status to clinics that meet a high standard of specialized ALS care. The Hoffman Grant awards are part of the organization's long-term commitment to increasing access to expert, team-based care, a proven model that extends survival, improves quality of life and ensures a more coordinated approach to managing the disease. Clinics receiving the designations are part of a national effort to close gaps in access and elevate the standard of care for all people living with ALS to meet these certification criteria.

The Hoffman ALS Clinic Development and Capacity Awards are made possible through the historic $58 million gift from the late Hugh Hoffman, a Cincinnati native and philanthropist whose life was shaped by ALS. When Hugh was just 11 years old, he lost his father, Herbert, to the devastating disease -- a loss that stayed with him throughout his life. Mr. Hoffman's contribution, the largest single philanthropic gift ever made to an ALS organization, established the Hugh and Herbert Hoffman ALS Fund, which is dedicated to advancing new treatments, strengthening clinic infrastructure, and reduce barriers to accessing a multidisciplinary care model.

"Thanks to this transformational gift, we are able to support clinical programs that have, as their foundation, highly skilled experts dedicated to ALS and who drive innovation and quality improvement," said Kim Maginnis, senior vice president, clinical programs and outreach at the ALS Association. "The ALS Association has established a gold standard for quality of care based on AAN Practice Parameters and Quality Standards. We know that a multidisciplinary care model delivered by a multidisciplinary team has a direct impact on patient outcomes. Expanding access to this kind of care is our priority."

All awardees will implement evidence-based, multidisciplinary care models and commit to tracking measurable outcomes that demonstrate improved access, coordination, and impact on the lives of those living with ALS. Each of these clinics demonstrated a strong commitment to ALS care, a clear understanding of local patient needs and a plan for sustainable growth beyond the grant period.

2024 Hoffman Clinic Development Award Recipients
Pardee Memorial Hospital Foundation
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

2024 Clinic Capacity Award Recipients
OhioHealth Corporation
Pitt County Memorial Hospital, Inc., North Carolina
SYNAPTICURE, INC., Nationwide Telemedicine
The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco
University of Wisconsin-Madison (Board of Regents University of WI System)
Virginia Commonwealth University

Recipients are selected not just based on need, but on readiness, commitment, and a shared goal to advance person-centered, evidence-based ALS care. The Hoffman ALS Clinic Awards Program reflects the ALS Association's mission: to make ALS livable until we cure it.

Requests for applications for The Hoffman ALS Clinic Capacity Awards Program and The Hoffman ALS Clinic Development Awards Program are now open. For more information, click here.

About ALS 

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to initiate and control muscle movement, which often leads to total paralysis and death within two to five years of diagnosis. For unknown reasons, veterans are more likely to develop ALS than the general population.

About the ALS Association

The ALS Association is the largest philanthropic funder of ALS research in the world. The Association funds global research collaborations, assists people with ALS and their families through its nationwide network of care and certified clinical care centers, and advocates for better public policies for people with ALS. The ALS Association is working to make ALS a livable disease while urgently searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at als.org.

About ALS Certified Centers & Clinics

The ALS Association works with the best ALS physicians and clinics across the U.S. to make sure people living with ALS have access to the best specialized care no matter where they live. Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence™ and Recognized Treatment Centers™ provide people living with ALS with compassionate care in a supportive, family-oriented atmosphere.

The multidisciplinary care model brings together a team of specially trained health care professionals who can address the many needs of people living with ALS, allowing them to receive care from each discipline during a single visit.

The care team typically includes a neurologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, respiratory therapist, nurse, dietitian, speech language pathologist, social worker, mental health professional and an ALS Association liaison.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-als-association-awards-8-hoffman-als-clinic-development--capacity-awards-to-expand-access-to-life-enhancing-multidisciplinary-als-care-302506824.html

SOURCE The ALS Association