ALPHARETTA, Ga. and WASHINGTON, May 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Halyard Health (NYSE: HYH) and the ALS Association today announced they are teaming up to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), at the National 2017 ALS Advocacy Conference taking place May 14-16 in Washington, D.C. The ALS Association is a national nonprofit organization that provides assistance for people with ALS through network chapters, coordination of multidisciplinary care and government partnerships. As part of National ALS Advocacy Day, Halyard Health and the ALS Association, along with advocates and patients will meet with members of Congress and their staff to share their stories and urge legislators to act on behalf of the ALS community.
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the 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. There is no cure, and only one drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) modestly extends survival. According to the ALS Association, roughly 6,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year and about 20,000 Americans have the disease at any given time.
As a person's condition worsens, they can have difficulty eating because of trouble swallowing, aspiration and choking. Many patients turn to enteral feeding tubes to help them get the nutrients they need to maintain their weight and energy so they can continue living productive lives as the disease progresses. Feeding tubes can also be used to administer medication, help increase fluid intake and to reduce the risk of chest infections caused by aspiration. Early initial placement of feeding tubes is recommended to reduce complications associated with surgical placement in ALS patients.
Halyard Health offers a range of digestive health solutions for patients and caregivers that help improve patient outcomes and overall quality of life. Its pioneering MIC-KEY* low-profile balloon-retained gastrostomy feeding tube sits at skin-level making it easy to conceal and less likely to interfere with clothing.
"We are grateful to Halyard Health for their support," said ALS Association CEO and President Barbara Newhouse. "Proper nutrition is of paramount importance for a person living with ALS and Halyard Health's solutions provide vital support to our ALS community."
"Halyard is committed to delivering reliable digestive health solutions that improve patients' quality of life," said Tom Kupec, vice president and general manager, Core Medical Devices at Halyard Health. "We are proud of the partnership we have formed with the ALS Association to generate awareness for ALS and to support the development of digestive health solutions that help patients get the nourishment they need to live their lives at every stage of the disease."
About The ALS Association
The ALS Association is the only national nonprofit organization fighting ALS on every front. By leading the way in global research, providing assistance for people with ALS through a nationwide network of chapters, coordinating multidisciplinary care through certified clinical care centers and fostering government partnerships, The Association builds hope and enhances quality of life while aggressively searching for new treatments and a cure. For more information about The ALS Association, visit our website at www.alsa.org.
About Halyard Health
Halyard Health (NYSE: HYH) is a medical technology company focused on eliminating pain, speeding recovery and preventing infection for healthcare providers and their patients. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Halyard is committed to addressing some of today's most important healthcare needs, such as reducing the use of opioids while helping patients move from surgery to recovery and preventing healthcare-associated infections. Halyard's business segments - Medical Devices and Surgical and Infection Prevention (S&IP) - develop, manufacture and market clinically superior solutions that improve medical outcomes and business performance in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.halyardhealth.com.
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SOURCE Halyard Health, Inc.