ALS United Rocky Mountain

A letter from our CEO Suzanne Schrag:

On behalf of the Chapter’s Board of Directors and staff, I have important news!

As of September 1, 2023, The ALS Association Rocky Mountain Chapter and fourteen other prominent chapters will legally separate as members of the ALS Association. These chapters represent approximately half of the ALS patient population, Certified Treatment Centers and ALS Clinics in the nation.

Why is this happening?

In July 2021, the national Board of Trustees of the ALS Association voted to begin a process of merging all 34 independent chapters across the country into a single organization headquartered in Arlington, VA. That vote effectively called for the elimination of independent chapters like ours; and specifically local care services.

• In January 2023, fifteen chapters initiated legal action to preserve their independence; and especially our local care programs. That litigation ended in June when the parties agreed to a resolution ensuring our independence and enabling our Chapter’s Board of Directors to continue allocating our financial resources in a manner that best fulfills the needs of local patient families who rely on us for care.
• Our programs and services are unduplicated and highly valued by the community we serve. Below are highlights of some of the recent mission-critical accomplishments that you have made possible:
  • Annually providing professional care management services and programming to 600+ families facing ALS, including underwriting activities that benefit children and teens, hosting educational webinars, and offering more than 10 support groups each month
  • Collaborating with 5 ALS clinic partners, including a Certified Treatment Center of Excellence and 4 Affiliated Treatment Centers, to provide seamless, high-quality multidisciplinary care and increase access to clinical trials
  • Distributing grants to people and families living with ALS for durable medical and communication equipment needs, transportation support, well-being, and respite care
  • Advocating for legislation and policies that benefit people with ALS and their loved ones
  • Delivering vibrant events that engage our community and raise crucial funds and awareness
  • Providing support and resources to hundreds of families who have lost a loved one to the disease

In short, we are the same good people doing the same great work operating under our new name ALS United Rocky Mountain. 

Please note, our home office will continue to be located at our current location in Westminster, Colorado. We will have the same telephone number and we will continue to be a 501(c)3 organization with the same Tax ID Number: 84-1337868.

We want to assure you that our essential programs and services, including care management, clinic support, educational webinars, equipment loan programs, support groups, and events of all kind, will not be disrupted because of this separation process.

In closing, everything we do is made possible by people like you who care deeply about the ALS cause. Thank You! Your continued commitment and trust are reassuring, always appreciated, and never taken for granted.

In partnership and gratitude,

Suzanne Schrag
Chief Executive Officer
ALS United Rocky Mountain, EST 1996