Middlefield – Dr. Heng Wang, a board certified pediatrician and the Medical Director of the DDC Clinic located in Middlefield, OH, announced today that their Amish Genetic Disease Panel will now test for 160 rare conditions. This important tool allows faster diagnosis of unidentified genetic conditions at a reduced cost. DDC Clinic delivers personalized and life-changing medical care to special needs children affected by rare genetic disorders.
“We’re very excited to be able to now screen for an additional 40 conditions as part of this panel,” said Dr. Wang. “Early diagnosis leads to early treatments, and those effective treatments can be lifesaving.”
Dr. Wang credited the hard work of his staff with bringing this project to fruition months ahead of schedule. This project was partially funded by the Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation and the Fowler Family Foundation. Their support allows us to keep the cost of the new panel the same as the previous panel.
The improved Amish Genetic Disease Panel will be used in DDC Clinic’s collaboration with the Care Center in Middlefield. Parents of newborn infants at the birthing center can have a sample of their baby’s cord blood sent to DDC Clinic for analysis. Parents would then know if their child is affected by any of these 160 rare conditions. If a condition is identified, no additional testing would be needed and support services could be initiated early in the baby’s life. Thanks to our generous donors and the United Way of Geauga County, parents are asked to pay only $25.00 for this testing as part of their birthing fee.
The Amish Genetic Disease Panel has proven to be an important tool and is a great example of personalized medicine in action. It is a resource for doctors serving Amish and Mennonite patients in both Geauga County and neighboring communities.
