CurePSP’s Centers of Care (CoC) network has just announced this year’s four recipients of its “Collaborative Approaches to Resources, Education and Support” (CARES) grants.

The CoCs, established in 2017 with 25 sites, have grown to include 41 sites at 34 academic medical centers in the US, four in Canada and three in Europe.  All have satisfied CurePSP’s criteria for expertise in the care of people with PSP and CBS, and many have also qualified for additional certification in MSA.  The group’s mission is not traditional research, but improving the quality and quantity of clinical care. 

In pursuit of that goal, the group has collaborated in writing and publishing review articles and opinion pieces on such topics as symptomatic treatment, biomarkers, speech impairment, and delays to appointments. Its four special-interest sub- groups meet regularly to discuss ways to improve care. Sites must be re-certified every three years, at which time they must demonstrate improvement in quantitative measures and cite new, relevant programs, publications and educational activities.

CoC member sites also are eligible to apply to CurePSP for grants supporting research into improving care delivery, or for specific care delivery projects.  Brief descriptions of the newest four projects are available on the CurePSP website. The funding for this year’s crop totals $155,000.  Parkinson Canada and CurePSP are sharing support of the two projects involving Canadian sites.

An unusual aspect of the CARES grant program is its requirement for collaboration among at least two CoC sites.  The point is to encourage cross-fertilization of ideas and to encourage the newer or smaller sites to learn what has worked for the more-established ones.  

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Disclosure: I helped organize the CoC network back in 2016-17 and serve on its Steering Committee as an ex officio representative of the CurePSP staff.