UC Davis Health named Center for Comprehensive MS Care
National MS Society designation recognizes its ability to meet specific standards
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A closeup of a doctor wearing a stethoscope, with her hands around a superimposed globe that's part of a total medical service structure scheme. (Photo from iStock.)
- UC Davis Health is now a National MS Society-designated Center for Comprehensive MS Care.
- It provides coordinated, multidisciplinary care for people with multiple sclerosis.
- Care includes diagnostics, therapies, symptom management, and research opportunities.
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society has designated UC Davis Health in California as a new Center for Comprehensive MS Care, recognizing its ability to provide coordinated, multidisciplinary care for people with multiple sclerosis (MS).
The designation is part of the society’s Network of MS Healthcare Professionals, which highlights centers that meet specific standards for comprehensive MS care, including access to specialized providers and resources to address the wide-ranging needs of people with MS.
“We are honored to receive the Comprehensive Care designation from the National MS Society. This is a testament to the excellence in care of our UC Davis Multiple Sclerosis Center,” Michelle Apperson, MD, PhD, director of the center, said in a press release.
Multidisciplinary approach to care key to earning designation
Centers awarded this designation must also demonstrate a multidisciplinary approach to care, bringing together specialists with experience in MS — including neurologists, nurses, rehabilitation professionals, and mental health providers — and ensuring that care is coordinated across these services.
The goal is to address not only the neurological aspects of MS, but also symptoms that affect daily functioning and quality of life. A local and national committee determines which centers meet the established criteria for receiving the Comprehensive MS Care Center distinction.
“Our MS-trained neurologists and nurse practitioners provide high-quality, compassionate and multidisciplinary care to patients,” Apperson added. “With this new designation, we continue to extend our outreach to people with MS, especially those living in Greater Sacramento and the outlying rural areas.”
At UC Davis Health, patients are cared for by a team of specialists who work together to manage symptoms, monitor disease progression, and support daily functioning and quality of life.
In earning this recognition, UC Davis has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in MS care, regardless of disease progression and other disparities affecting people in the MS community.
The center offers diagnostic services commonly used in MS, including MRI scans and laboratory testing, which help clinicians confirm a diagnosis and monitor disease activity and progression.
Treatment focuses on early and ongoing management of the disease, using disease-modifying therapies to reduce inflammatory activity and slow the accumulation of disability, along with medications and rehabilitation strategies to manage symptoms.
In line with the comprehensive care model, the center also provides support for mental health and helps patients access assistive technologies and other resources to maintain independence in daily life.
The designation also reflects the center’s role in connecting patients with education, support services, and research opportunities, including clinical trials evaluating potential new therapies.
“We are proud to partner with UC Davis to enhance dedicated care for the people who live with MS,” said Elizabeth Tilley, director of provider engagement at the National MS Society. “In earning this recognition, UC Davis has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in MS care, regardless of disease progression and other disparities affecting people in the MS community.”
To make an appointment at the UC Davis MS Center, call 800-282-3284.
