National Jewish Health Named FARE Clinical Network Center of Excellence

National Jewish Health to be part of Food Allergy Research & Education Clinical Network

National Jewish Heath has been named a “FARE Clinical Network Center of Excellence” by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). The FARE Clinical Network is a new initiative that aims to accelerate the development of drugs for patients with food allergies as well as improve the quality of care for this serious illness. The FARE Clinical Network will help parents, caregivers, and patients identify which clinics maintain the highest standards in delivering food allergy services and apply the latest evidence-based knowledge.

“Children and their families have come to National Jewish Health for Kids for decades for a comprehensive team approach to food allergies that provides accurate diagnosis, individualized treatment and in-depth education for every patient,” said Erwin Gelfand, MD, chair of Pediatrics at National Jewish Health. “We are honored to be recognized as a FARE Clinical Network Center of Excellence. The FARE Clinical Network will benefit patients as well as institutions.”

FARE has selected 22 centers of excellence, including National Jewish Health, as inaugural members of the FARE Clinical Network and will be supporting these centers with an initial investment of over $2 million dollars annually. Under FARE’s leadership and coordination, network members will serve as sites for clinical trials for the development of new therapeutics and will develop best practices for the care of patients with food allergies. The FARE Clinical Network also will serve as a driver of collaboration helping to advance the field of food allergy. Member centers will contribute to the development of a national food allergy patient registry and biorepositories. Donald Leung, MD, PhD, is the director of the FARE Clinical Network Center of Excellence at National Jewish Health, and Pia Hauk, MD is the associate director.

Food allergy research has been a central theme at National Jewish Health for Kids since the 1970s when its team first developed double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges to definitively diagnose food allergies. Over the past 40 years, basic and clinical research and clinical experience with food challenges have resulted in improved patient outcomes and numerous publications. Today, National Jewish Health for Kids continues to be a national and international leader in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric food allergies, and continues to conduct food-allergy research, including research as part of the National Institutes of Health-funded Consortium of Food Allergy Research.

The National Jewish Health for Kids food allergy program utilizes a multidisciplinary team approach that includes clinicians, nutrition experts, psychologists, experienced nursing staff and dedicated scientists. The patient and family are treated as individuals, acknowledging the need for personalized medicine. Parent support groups meet under the direction of the psychosocial providers and services include behavioral intervention strategies, biofeedback, and other established approaches.