A national award recognizes the ETSU Health Gary E. Shealy Memorial ALS Clinic as an exemplary model of what happens when health care professionals across disciplines work together to improve patient care and educate the next generation of providers.

The clinic recently received the 2026 George E. Thibault, MD Nexus Award, a national honor recognizing innovative approaches to interprofessional collaboration that advance both patient care and health professions education.

Presented by the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, the award recognizes a collaborative approach central to ETSU Health's mission. Faculty, clinicians and students representing medicine, pharmacy, health sciences and nursing work alongside community partners to address the complex needs of people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

“The Gary E. Shealy Memorial ALS Clinic exemplifies the spirit of the George E. Thibault, MD Nexus Award,” said Christine Arenson, MD, FNAP, director of the National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. “They are providing coordinated, patient- and family-centered care to people dealing with a complex, devastating diagnosis in a part of the country with very limited access to health resources. Not only have they increased access to state-of-the-art interprofessional care, they have documented impact on the quality of care, including efficiency for patients and families, enhanced communication and psychosocial support.  

“Working in a true Nexus partnership with practice and education, faculty at ETSU are contributing to patient outcomes while also realizing important learning outcomes for their students. We are proud to be able to recognize this team and their exceptional work,” Dr. Arenson added.

“The ALS Clinic represents the very core of how ETSU Health aims to serve our community,” said Dr. Bill Block, ETSU's Vice President for Clinical Affairs and Dean of the Quillen College of Medicine. “By bringing together the expertise of medicine, pharmacy, health sciences and nursing, we provide exceptional, coordinated care for patients and families, while also preparing the next generation of health care professionals to work collaboratively. It is a powerful example of how our clinical and educational missions strengthen one another, ultimately improving the health of the communities we serve.”

Established in 2017 through the efforts of Dr. Faith Aiken, her late husband Gary E. Shealy, and ETSU, the clinic was created to address a critical gap in access to multidisciplinary ALS care in the region. It is housed in ETSU’s College of Health Sciences.

Today, its team brings together expertise in family medicine, pharmacy, nursing, physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, nutrition, respiratory therapy, mental health, and assistive technology.

Rather than requiring patients to move between providers during a clinic visit, patients stay in one room while care team members come to them. The approach reduces patient fatigue and allows providers to communicate in real time, developing coordinated care plans that address the interconnected physical, emotional and functional needs of patients living with ALS.

“What makes this clinic so special is that collaboration is built into every aspect of the patient experience,” said Dr. Jeff Snodgrass, Dean of ETSU's College of Health Sciences. “Our team brings together professionals with different areas of expertise under a shared commitment to caring for the whole person. By working together, they can anticipate patients' needs, coordinate treatment and help families navigate an incredibly challenging diagnosis.”

That same collaborative approach creates a valuable learning environment for ETSU students and medical residents. Students have opportunities to work alongside faculty and professionals from other disciplines, gaining firsthand experience in how different areas of expertise complement one another to improve patient care.

For example, a medical resident may visit with physical and occupational therapy faculty, while a physical therapy student may learn alongside nursing faculty. These experiences help prepare future health professionals to carry a collaborative, patient-centered approach into their careers.

“We are honored to be a part of the community committed to advancing interprofessional education and collaborative practice,” said Clinic Coordinator Dr. Jennifer Zorotovich, who also serves as Associate Professor of Counseling and Human Services. “We hope the work recognized here inspires all of us to keep learning from one another, breaking down boundaries between disciplines, and building models of care that put people at the center. Thank you for this extraordinary honor.”

For patients and families navigating the challenges of ALS, that teamwork can make a profound difference.

“The support and care that they offer is above and beyond anything imaginable. In this clinic, I am not a number; I am a name,” said Richard Arco, a patient of the clinic.

The clinic serves patients from eastern Tennessee, southeastern Kentucky, western North Carolina and southwest Virginia. Its team provides coordinated care during clinic visits and helps patients and families navigate equipment, referrals, insurance barriers, financial resources and other services.

The award was presented Sept. 24 during the 2026 Nexus Summit, an annual gathering of educators, practitioners, researchers and leaders advancing interprofessional practice and education. The National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education, based at the University of Minnesota, presents the award to recognize extraordinary contributions to integrating health care delivery and health professions education.

The Gary E. Shealy Memorial ALS Clinic is located at the ETSU Health Center for Outpatient Rehabilitation in Elizabethton.

With more than 300 health care providers serving at 50 medical facilities across the region, ETSU Health is on the front lines of efforts to improve the health of Northeast Tennessee by offering leading-edge health care in dozens of specialties.