BALTIMORE, January 15, 2023 – Kennedy Krieger Institute has been awarded $1 million of direct federal funding as part of the fiscal year 2023 omnibus funding legislation. The investment, approved by President Biden on December 29, 2022, is intended to enhance Kennedy Krieger’s Pediatric Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Clinic, which has treated more than 100 children and adolescents for long COVID.
“The number of children and teens who are working hard to recover from the residual symptoms and effects of prior COVID-19 infection continues to rise,” said Dr. Bradley Schlaggar, MD, PhD, Kennedy Krieger’s President and CEO. “Kennedy Krieger is focused on helping these children and teens recover so that they can go on to resume productive, full lives. This funding is crucial to help us achieve that vital goal.”
The federal funds are being directed toward infrascruture improvements of the Institute’s existing Pediatric Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Clinic. In supporting the Institute’s multi-disciplanary approach to care, they give Kennedy Krieger’s clinicians and researchers opportunities to better understand treatment options and patient trajectories.
U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, both from Maryland, were critical in including the Institute within the federal legislation.
“Up to 25,000 Maryland children and adolescents are continuing to suffer the effects of Long COVID, and the ever-growing number of cases means that this will be a long-term public health issue,” said Senator Ben Cardin. “This is why federal funding to enhance the multi-disciplinary approach utilized by Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Pediatric Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Clinic is so important. As the only clinic of its kind in Maryland, the treatment and research being provided by its personnel is vital to helping young Marylanders fully recover from this lasting consequence of the pandemic.”
Senator Van Hollen added that “too many Marylanders who are struggling with the effects of Long COVID are having trouble getting the care they need. I fought to deliver this direct federal investment to Kennedy Krieger Institute to ensure our children have access to the right experts and treatments to help them get better, as we continue working to expand our knowledge and understanding of this disease.”
Addressing the causes of Long COVID and treating symptoms such as fatigue, headache and chronic pain, Kennedy Krieger’s Pediatric Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Clinic currently sees patients from Maryland, the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. For more information, please visit www.KennedyKrieger.org.
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About Kennedy Krieger Institute
Kennedy Krieger Institute, an internationally known, non-profit organization located in the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C. region, transforms the lives of more than 27,000 individuals a year through inpatient and outpatient medical, behavioral health and wellness therapies, home and community services, school-based programs, training and education for professionals and advocacy. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children, adolescents and adults with diseases, disorders or injuries that impact the nervous system, ranging from mild to severe. The Institute is home to a team of investigators who contribute to the understanding of how disorders develop, while at the same time pioneer new interventions and methods of early diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Visit KennedyKrieger.org for more information about Kennedy Krieger.
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