Banner Good Samaritan designated as National Neuropathy Center

Certification indicates that care meets the highest standards and comprehensive needs of patients, families and caregivers

Diabetics and other patients dealing with neuropathy can be seen at Banner Good Sam's Neuropathy Clinic.

Neuropathy is a painful nerve disorder affecting up to 20 million Americans that presents as tingling, numbness and pain in the hands and feet. It affects half of all patients with diabetes, as well as people with other conditions that cause nerve inflammation and damage.

“The designation of the Banner Good Samaritan Comprehensive NeuroServices Program in Phoenix as a National Neuropathy Center is terrific news for our patients throughout the Southwest,” medical co-director Todd Levine, M.D., said. “We have been working for several years to deliver the highest quality care to our patient population and this serves as outstanding recognition for the entire team’s hard work. It also puts us in the company of other elite neuropathy centers and will allow us to move forward and facilitate more research and strive to find a cure for our patients.”

David Saperstein, M.D., medical co-director, added, “We’ve been pleased by the services we have been able to provide to our neuropathy patients and are excited about how our relationship with The Neuropathy Association will improve our ability to reach patients and educate the medical community.”

Banner Good Samaritan joins centers located at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, University of Florida Health Science Center in Jacksonville, and Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.

Ronnie Chalif, president of The Neuropathy Association, said, “We believe Banner Good Samaritan's approach to serving their local community will be a welcome addition to our national network of neuropathy centers.”

The Neuropathy Association’s acting executive director Tina Tockarshewsky added, “With the Peripheral Neuropathy Clinic at Banner Good Samaritan as the newest addition to our national neuropathy center network, The Association has come halfway to its goal of establishing 10 satellites of support and care for neuropathy patients. This affiliation advances our goals of improved access to care for patients and increased awareness of neuropathy by both the general public and healthcare professionals, as well as provides another means to bridge the gap between research and clinical practice.”

As a national center, Banner Good Samaritan will be offering programs that coordinate the care and support of neuropathy patients, educate doctors about the best diagnostic and treatment options, raise public awareness and pursue research on neuropathy. “We look forward to offering patients more coordinated diagnosis and care, and access to clinical trials of promising treatments,” said Kris Irizarry, director of Banner Good Samaritan’s CNSP.

Created in 2000, the CNSP is a multidisciplinary clinic that brings together physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapists; dietitians; social workers; nurses and physicians in a single setting for a 4-hour period to focus on one patient, their needs and the needs of their caregivers. Dr. Levine and Dr. Saperstein will see patients suffering from various neuromuscular diseases including ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), myositis and neuropathy to have their condition monitored and cared for on a regular basis. In addition, the program can take advantage of the hospital’s Telemedicine technology to assess Arizona-based patients who cannot travel to the Phoenix area.

Located in downtown Phoenix, Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center has been providing medical care to Arizona and the Southwest since 1911. Banner Good Samaritan is owned and operated by Phoenix-based Banner Health, a not-for-profit organization. The hospital was named to U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Hospitals” report in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Heart Care and Surgery and Endocrinology. We have also been recognized as a Magnet facility by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the highest honor a hospital can earn for its nursing care.

The hospital’s Comprehensive NeuroServices Program is recognized as a National Center of Excellence by the American ALS Association and as a Primary Stroke Center by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

For more information on the Comprehensive NeuroServices Program at Banner Good Samaritan, please call (602) 239-6533 or visit www.BannerHealth.com, key phrase “BGS Movement Disorders.”

For more information on The Neuropathy Association, visit www.neuropathy.org or call (212) 692-0662.

Contact:
Banner Good Samaritan Public Relations
(602) 239-4411