Skip to content
Friedreich's Ataxia News logo
  • Forums
  • About FA
    What is FA?
    Causes
    Symptoms
    • Cardiomyopathy
    Diagnosis
    Treatments
    • Approved treatment: Skyclarys
    • Experimental Treatments
    • Non-drug Treatments
  • News
  • Columns
    Defining Yourself — Jean Walsh
    My Darling Disability
    — Kendall Harvey
    Little Victories — Matthew Lafleur
    Recalibrating – Elizabeth Hamilton
    Archived Columns
    • No Good Excuse — Sean Baumstark
    • Hope from Home — Katie Griffith
    • An Unexpected Journey — David Riley
    • Practical Guide to Life with FA — Christina Cordaro
  • FA education
    Videos: Start strong, stay steady
    My FA diagnosis story
    Growing up with FA
    Talking to your child about FA
    Assistive equipment, aids, and adaptations
    Guidance for parents of children with FA
    FA treatment options
    Exercise and physiotherapy
    Living with FA
    FA support and resources
    FA and mental health
    Essential travel tips
    Speech therapy
    AAC devices
    Occupational therapy
    FA and diet
    Late-onset FA
    Aging with FA
  • Find a physician
  • For professionals
  • Advocacy partners
  • What can we help you find today?

    • Forums

Achieving quality Friedreich's ataxia care in rural areas

George Wilmot, MD, PhD, talks about the diagnosis and care challenges faced by Friedreich’s ataxia patients and healthcare teams in rural, underserved areas.

About George Wilmot, MD, PhD

George Wilmot, MD, PhD, is a board-certified neurologist affiliated with several hospitals, including Emory University Hospital. He also serves as an associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology and adjunct associate professor at the school’s Department of Pediatrics. He is an ataxia clinical researcher and he started the Cooperative Ataxia Registry.

Transcript

There are difficulties in coordinating care teams in complicated diseases that have systemic manifestations, like Friedreich’s with the cardiac, the diabetes risk, the orthopedic abnormalities. That’s just so much harder in rural environments. So the primary care has to take on, you know, a higher amount of responsibility with that.

Establishing the diagnosis can be difficult just because I can diagnose Friedreich’s pretty much from across the room — and have a few times — just at least in its typical phenotype, which is the most common, it has a certain look. And so that’s easy for me as a Friedreich’s specialist. In rural environments, I think people will very likely not have seen any Friedreich’s patients, maybe not even have heard about it. And that can be a real difficulty, a real hindrance to a quick diagnosis.

It’s always a challenge. And that can be met by attitude of the rural providers of being willing to really dive in and get to know Friedreich’s as well as they can and not being afraid to step up to the plate a little bit. And also through referral to other specialists and centers that kind of are more used to taking care of Friedreich’s.

Our FA medical advisor

Dr. David LynchDavid Lynch, MD, PhD, is the director of the Friedreich’s Ataxia Program at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Meet the expert

Newsletter driver

Envelope icon

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get regular updates to your inbox.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Bionews, Inc.

3 W Garden St
Suite 700
Pensacola, FL 32502
Website: bionews.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-800-936-1363

  • About Us
  • Leadership
  • Our Culture
  • Editorial Policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Corrections Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Disclaimer

This site is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Copyright © 2013-2025 All rights reserved.