Lauren Nichole Smith, MD
About
Director of the Division of Rheumatology, MedStar Washington Hospital Center Program Director of the Rheumatology Fellowship at MedStar Washington Hospital Center Associate Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center President of DC Rheumatism Society 2021- 2022 Medical research publications available through PubMed Voted Top Doctor by: The Washingtonian 2019, 2022 Northern Virginia Magazine 2021, 2022 Washington Consumers Checkbook 2022 Click here for more information and to make an appointment.
EDS Healthcare in Florida
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville's dedicated EDS Clinic is an EDS Society Center of Excellence and serves as the anchor for EDS care in the Southeast. The Florida Association of Genetic Counselors supports genetic testing access statewide. Florida Medicaid covers genetic testing for connective tissue disorders with documented medical necessity.
Florida's size creates significant access disparities. The Mayo Clinic EDS program is in Jacksonville, which means patients in South Florida, Tampa Bay, or the Panhandle face drives of 4-8 hours. Wait times at the Mayo Clinic EDS Clinic can be 6 months or more. Telehealth follow-ups can help after an initial in-person evaluation.
Finding Rheumatology for EDS
Ask whether the rheumatologist uses the 2017 hEDS diagnostic criteria and has experience distinguishing EDS from other hypermobility spectrum disorders.