Goryeb Children’s Hospital Kickoff Location for '18 Duchenne Tour

Goryeb Children’s Hospital, part of Atlantic Health System, will proudly serve as the kickoff location for the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy’s (PPMD) 2018 End Duchenne Tour across America.

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) is the largest, most comprehensive nonprofit organization in the United States focused on finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy—a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle degeneration and weakness in young males.

The no-cost, day-long event is open to parents, families, advocates, caregivers, and physicians interested in the latest advancements in Duchenne care and research.

“Neurological and neuromuscular disorders like Duchenne can cause loss of function and mobility the longer they are undiagnosed and untreated, so there is a critical need for frequent communication about the latest treatments and research,” said Dr. Jahannaz Dastgir, medical director of the Pediatric Neuromuscular Medicine Program at Goryeb Children’s Hospital, who will also present at the meeting. “Atlantic Health System is proud to partner with PPMD on its End Duchenne Tour to share research, and provide a safe, supportive forum for the Duchenne and muscular dystrophy community.”

“Throughout our 24-year history, PPMD has aimed to bring updates on research, care, and advocacy to families affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” said Pat Furlong, Founding President & CEO, Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy. “This is a unique experience for participants to better understand the progress being made in the fight to end this devastating disease, which the team at Goryeb Children’s Hospital experiences firsthand every day.”

Goryeb Children’s Hospital offers a number of specialty services for children with neurological and neuromuscular disorders and diseases including:

• Autism and development – Goryeb Autism and Development Center (GADC)

In addition, the medical center is currently pursuing a Center of Excellence designation from PPMD, which will enable its medical team to lead and participate in clinical trials. In 2017, Goryeb Children’s Hospital was the first hospital in the state to administer nusinersen, a newly approved medication to a patient with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare and sometimes fatal genetic disease that causes progressive loss of muscle strength and movement.

Additional sites on the 2018 tour include Washington DC, Cincinnati, Ohio, Birmingham, Alabama, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Billings, Montana, San Francisco, California, and Scottsdale, Arizona.

When: Saturday, February 3, 2018

8:00am-5:30pm

Where: Malcom Forbes Auditorium at Morristown Medical Center

100 Madison Ave

Morristown, NJ, 07960

To register, visit http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=106203.

About Atlantic Health System

Atlantic Health System, headquartered in Morristown, N.J., is an integrated health care delivery system powered by a workforce of 16,000 team members dedicated to building healthier communities. The system is comprised of 350 sites of care, including six hospitals: Morristown Medical Center, Overlook Medical Center, Newton Medical Center, Chilton Medical Center, Hackettstown Medical Center and Goryeb Children’s Hospital. Atlantic Health System also supports communities through Atlantic Medical Group, Atlantic Rehabilitation, Atlantic Home Care and Hospice, and its subsidiary, Atlantic Ambulance Corporation. Atlantic Health System sponsors the Atlantic Accountable Care Organization, one of the larger ACOs in the nation, and Optimus Healthcare Partners.