ALS grant to help expand services at ETSU Health clinic

A $75,000 grant will help support the expansion of services 
at the Gary E. Shealy ALS Memorial Clinic.

ETSU Health’s Gary E. Shealy Memorial ALS Clinic celebrated its seventh anniversary on Tuesday, ringing in another year of providing much-needed services for ALS patients in our region with a $75,000 grant from the ALS Association.  

Established in February 2017, the free clinic offers a multidisciplinary approach to the care of people diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis – also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. 

The clinic offers patients an opportunity to receive coordinated care from a variety of clinicians in one visit, relieving them from the burden of making multiple trips to different specialists. Clinical care includes neurology, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, nutrition, pharmacy, social work, an assistive technology professional and an ALS Association liaison. 

These clinicians, all volunteers, have collectively donated hundreds of hours at the clinic, serving nearly one hundred patients across thousands of visits. According to the ALS Association, the clinic is the only one in Tennessee that offers its services for free to patients.  

“The Gary E. Shealy Memorial ALS Clinic is a critical lifeline for those in our region seeking care for ALS, and we are incredibly proud to celebrate seven years of care with the support of the ALS Association,” said Clinic Coordinator and East Tennessee State University Professor Courtney Andrews.  

Dr. Faith Akin, audiologist at James H. Quillen VA Medical Center at Mountain Home campus and former member of the CCRHS Philanthropy Board, donated funds to create the clinic following the death of her husband, Gary E. Shealy, in 2016. She recalled how she and her husband, along with other patients and their families from this region, would have to drive hours to other universities to attend an ALS clinic. Her hope was that the new clinic at ETSU would ease the burden on patients and their families. 

Housed at the ETSU Nave Center in Elizabethton, and established in partnership with the ALS Association, the clinic has experienced substantial growth since its inception seven years ago – growth the additional funding from the ALS Association will go a long way in supporting.  

Andrews said the funding will help expand services to a full day clinic, grow telehealth services, provide equipment that can be loaned to patients and support continuing education for providers.  

“This funding will go a long way in ensuring we are able to keep up with the increasing demand for services,” said Andrews. “These services are critically needed in our area, and we are committed to doing everything we can to improve the quality of life for those living with ALS in our region.”