Rocky Mountain MS Center

Impact Statement

For 30 years, the RMMSC has been providing individual care, support, education and research for people in the Rocky Mountain region and around the world. The current programs and services of the Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center include:*Specialized adult day services for more than 145 people with progressive MS and other neurological illnesses and disabilities;*MS rehabilitation clinic which serves patients monthly;*Community hydrotherapy programs are offered 5 days per week, serving more than 130 individuals annually;*Counseling and support for 350 individuals, providing 7,400 units of service through individual appointments, family sessions and support groups for individuals living with MS and family caregivers;*Patient, family and community education for more than 2,000 people through monthly classes and seminars;*MS specific education for 12,000 households through our InforMS educational newsletter;*Complementary and alternative medicine web-based research at ms-cam.org, with more than 37,000 registered users on the website from 79 countries;*An MS brain and tissue bank, which provides much-needed research material for research being conducted around the world;*Medicaid clients are able to receive care through the MS clinic of the Metro Community Providers Network.

Needs Statement

1.Annual fund/general operating support for all programs.
2.Relocation by 2009 of our Adult Day Enrichment Center.
3.Support for an indigent care program for MS patients with little or no insurance.
4.Equipment to enhance our brain tissue research bank.
5.Volunteers to serve leadership roles, as well as direct-service roles; for example as a part of our community-based aquatic therapy program or at our adult day program.

Background Statement

The Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1978 as one of the nation’s first comprehensive centers dedicated to the study and treatment of MS. The Rocky Mountain MS Center was created by physicians and other community leaders who had a deep concern for the losses suffered by people in the prime of their lives due to MS. The Rocky Mountain MS Center strives to be the Center of Excellence for people living with MS and to contribute to research finding treatments and a cure for multiple sclerosis. The Rocky Mountain MS Center focuses its resources on four major offerings:

CARE Develop and provide innovative, specialized, comprehensive, and interdisciplinary clinical programs for treating, supporting and rehabilitating people living with MS.
SUPPORT Providing support to those diagnosed with MS and their significant others through individualized education, psychosocial support, and resource provision and referral services.
EDUCATION Educate, people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, their family members, healthcare professionals and the general public about multiple sclerosis.
RESEARCH Expand capacity to contribute to the body of knowledge of MS treatments, care and eventually the cure for MS.

Executive Director Statement

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) touches the lives of many people. You can’t live in Colorado without having a direct connection to someone living with MS. The NMSS Colorado Chapter estimates that there are 8,500 Coloradoans living with MS, which represents a ratio of 1/580 Coloradoans. The MS Center touches the lives of many, both those living in Colorado, and - through our MS-Cam website - people from around the world. We have a commitment to serve those in the Rocky Mountain region, but also to continue our outreach around the world. For those living with MS, the answers begin here at the Rocky Mountain MS Center. Each individual we work with has access to the most current information to make wise decisions about their medical care and wellness lifestyle. We all aspire for the cure; there is nothing we would like more than to put ourselves out of business because the world is free of MS. The Rocky Mountain MS Center is committed to the provision of programs and services to not only help people living with MS – but to live well. As an organization, the hallmark of the past couple of years has been continued growth and the development of new, innovative services. The board of directors and professional care providers continue to take the pulse of those who live with MS, as well as their families and professional care providers, so that we can meet people at the level of their need. You will continue to see innovative and dynamic program services and cutting edge research as you journey with us in the coming years. The core of our mission is the provision of four distinct services: care, support, education and research. We hope you will take time to celebrate the work done in each of these categories. Thank you, our donors, for making this vital work possible.

Board Chair/President Statement

My father, N. Daren Writer, founded the Rocky Mountain MS Center in 1978 with the help of his friends in the business community. His legacy of leadership lives on through the continuing work of the MS Center. As the Chairman of the Board of the Rocky Mountain MS Center, I am working hard to maintain that legacy as well.
The MS Center Board of Directors includes community volunteers who, together with the staff, work toward fulfilling the mission of helping people living with MS and their families lead a quality life by providing care, support, education and research. It is my hope that through the MS Center’s research we will soon have a world in which MS is no longer the most commonly diagnosed neurological illness of young adults.