Committing to Care, Access, Equity and Research: NORD® Announces 31 Rare Disease Centers of Excellence

National Organization for Rare Disorders® (NORD) provides new designation to medical centers to define standards for high-quality specialized care for rare disease patients

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National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)

Nov 04, 2021, 08:30 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) announced 31 NORD Rare Disease Centers of Excellence across the United States, establishing a unique network of medical centers, clinics, and institutions to advance care and expand access for rare disease patients. The program is being led by NORD to promote outstanding treatment for rare disease patients regardless of disease or geography, elevate collaboration, improve standards of care, advance research, and increase awareness about rare diseases in the broader medical and patient communities.

The average rare disease diagnosis can take six years and require up to 12 specialists and multiple medical tests. By designating and establishing a network of specialized centers and experts, NORD is bringing together leaders in the field from across the country to reduce the time to diagnosis and improve the availability and coordination of multi-specialty clinical care. These Centers of Excellence will strive to push the rare disease field forward by collaborating to develop new care guidelines, improve medical and family education, create safe and effective referral pathways, and innovate around new treatments, therapies, and research.

"Our belief is that the Center of Excellence program is the next big stride forward for rare disease treatment and patients – to improve health equity and create critical new connections to resources and specialists across our nation," said Ed Neilan, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, NORD. "NORD is committed to breaking down siloes and building bridges so that people living with a rare disease can achieve their best health and well-being."

Each Center for Excellence was selected by NORD in a competitive application process requiring evidence of staffing with experts across multiple specialties to meet the needs of rare disease patients and significant contributions to rare disease patient education, physician training, and research. The NORD Rare Disease Centers of Excellence program is formulated to achieve better outcomes for all members of the rare disease community.

The full list of NORD designated Rare Disease Centers of Excellence:

Alabama

University of Alabama at Birmingham Medicine/Children's of Alabama

California

Children's Hospital of Orange County/UC Irvine
University of California, San Francisco & UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals

Colorado

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus/Children's Hospital Colorado/UC Health

Florida

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Georgia

Emory Division of Medical Genetics

Indiana

Indiana University Health

Iowa

University of Iowa Health Care

Maryland

Johns Hopkins Medicine/Kennedy Krieger Institute

Massachusetts

Mass General Hospital/Mass General Hospital for Children/Brigham and Women's Hospital/Boston Children's Hospital

Minnesota

Mayo Clinic
M Health Fairview-University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital

Missouri

Washington University/BJC Healthcare

Nebraska

UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute, Omaha Children's Hospital and Nebraska Medicine

New York

Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

North Carolina

Duke Health Rare Disease Center
UNC Children's - North Carolina Children's Hospital

Ohio

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Nationwide Children's Hospital/Ohio State University

Oklahoma

OU Health/University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center

Pennsylvania

Penn Medicine/Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
UPMC Center for Rare Disease Therapy

Tennessee

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Texas

Baylor College of Medicine/Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center/Texas Children's Hospital
McGovern Medical School
UT Southwestern Medical Center

Utah

University of Utah Medical Genetics

Washington, D.C.

Rare Disease Institute at Children's National Hospital

Wisconsin

Children's Wisconsin/Medical College of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin Center for Rare Diseases

NORD is looking to advance medical breakthroughs that serve individuals impacted by a rare disease. Any disease that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States is considered rare, according to the National Institutes of Health. There are over 7,000 rare diseases and 30 million Americans estimated to be currently living with rare diseases. More than 90% of rare diseases lack an FDA-approved treatment.

For more information on the NORD Rare Disease Center of Excellence, click here.

About the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is the leading independent advocacy organization representing all patients and families affected by rare diseases in the United States. NORD began as a small group of patient advocates that formed a coalition to unify and mobilize support to pass the Orphan Drug Act of 1983. Since then, the organization has led the way in voicing the needs of the rare disease community, driving supportive policies, furthering education, advancing medical research, and providing patient and family services for those who need them most. Together with over 300 disease-specific member organizations, more than 15,000 Rare Action Network advocates across all 50 states, and national and global partners, NORD delivers on its mission to improve the lives of those impacted by rare diseases. Visit rarediseases.org.

SOURCE National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)