Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center

RECENT NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

July 26, 2010
Conversations on MS recently travelled to Durango and was featured in the Durango Herald: Winning the fight: Colorado center sees major advances in MS treatment

July 6, 2010
Kevin Zwick, MS Center Dream Chaser, featured on 9 News concerning his upcoming climb in support of the Rocky Mountain MS Center: Living on the mountain for a good cause

June 8, 2010
The Rocky Mountain MS Center was recently highlighted in the University of Colorado Hospital Newsletter, UCH Insider: MS Center's "Remarriage" a Quick Success

May 24, 2010
Rocky Mountain MS Center 9th Annual Golf Tournament Classic
Check out photos from the fundraising event!

October 5, 2009
Just published: Rocky Mountain MS Center 2008 Annual Report

On behalf of the Rocky Mountain MS Center Board of Directors, we are pleased to provide you with our 2008 Annual Report: 2008 Annual Report (PDF).

The Rocky Mountain MS Center is proud to highlight its accomplishments and provde financial summary information for your review. As the leading MS Center in the Rocky Mountain region, we take very seriously our responsiblity to demonstrate steadfast alighnment with our mission and superior fiscal responsiblity.

Thank you for your support in helping us to achieve our mission of improving the lives of those living with MS and their families through care, support, education and research.

September 22, 2009
Chocolate, mojitos on MS benefit's menu, The Denver Post
Read all about the Rocky Mountain MS Center's 2009 Gala, Havana Nights!


August, 2009
Overcoming the SSDI Hurdle
An article by Tom Stewart, J.D., M.S., PA-C, of the Rocky Mountain MS Center

August 11, 2009
UC Denver Boosts Research Assault on MS
Dr. Vollmer and the Rocky Mountain MS Center in the news!

August 3, 2009
Welcome Dr. Augusto Miravalle to the MS Clinic at Anschutz

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Augusto Miravalle, newest member of our team at the Rocky Mountain MS Center at Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Miravalle joins us from Harvard University, where he spend the last year as an MS Neuroimmunology Fellow. Born and raised in Argentina- he is fluent in both English and Spanish. Dr. Miravalle is an accomplished MS-specialty physician and has been consistently praised for his excellence in patient care. Interestingly, he is also a gifted concert pianist and has competed in a number of international piano competitions.

July 1, 2009
Contact Congress NOW about the Medicare Adult Day Services Proposal

The Medicare Adult Day Services Act of 2009 (H.R. 3043) was just introduced by Representative Linda Sánchez (CA-39), and it now needs more co-sponsors to move it forward in the House. 

This legislation allows Medicare beneficiaries to use adult day service programs that are certified, licensed, or accredited under an approved accreditation agency to provide post-acute services under Medicare.

Please go the AAHSA’s Contact Congress website HERE and urge your representative in Congress to sign onto this legislation to offer quality adult day services to be a post-acute care option for older adults and persons with a disability.

June 26, 2009
Our canine friend, Dare, recently visited KADEP.
Read all about Dare's amazing story HERE, which was featured in the Denver Post.



Feb. 2009
Swine Flu and MS: A question and answer with Dr. Vollmer
In the last week, swine flu has been a frequently discussed topic, and many people with MS have questions. Dr. Vollmer, Medical Director of the Rocky Mountain MS Center, has agreed to clarify some of these questions and issues as they relate to people with MS.

Are people with MS more likely to experience complications from flu?
People on chronic immunosuppressive therapy may be more susceptible to developing serious infections. Similarly, people who are more severely affected with MS, especially those who have limited mobility, may be more at risk of harm from respiratory complications. But otherwise, most people with MS are not more likely to develop serious infections.

Another special consideration for people with MS is that infection with swine flu, like the seasonal flu, may increase the risk of an MS exacerbation. Are treatments for swine flu available?
Yes, laboratory testing on these swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses so far indicate that oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are effective. Based on experience with seasonal flu, these drugs are more effective if used within 48 hours of onset of symptoms.

Should people with MS who get swine flu be treated with antiviral therapy?
Probably. As stated above, people with MS may be at more risk from flu infection. Discussing these factors with your primary care physician is a good idea and together you can make a decision about being treated with an antiviral therapy.

Are there any special precautions that people with MS should take? Generally, no. However, it is certainly important for people with MS to follow basic hygiene principles, including frequent hand washing, coughing or sneezing into a tissue, not touching your eyes, nose or mouth, and avoiding close contact with possibly infected people. Taking these preventative measures greatly reduces all people’s chances of getting the flu – including those with MS – as swine flu is passed from person to person.

What if someone with MS does not have symptoms of flu but has been exposed to a person who is known to be infected with swine flu?
In some situations, antiviral therapies can be used to prevent infection in people who have been exposed to the virus. This preventive use of antivirals may be considered when someone has been in close contact (within six feet) with a person who has a confirmed case of swine flu. Additionally, those MS patients who have other health problems, such as heart disease, may be candidates for prophylactic therapy if exposed to probable infected cases.

If an MS patient thinks he/she may have contracted swine flu (fever, aches and pains), what should he/she do?
See your primary physician. Because antiviral therapies are more effective when used early, it important to consult your primary physician soon after you begin to experience symptoms. Generally, these drugs are most effective if started within 48 hours of onset of symptoms.

Should injectable MS therapies or Tysabri be discontinued?
No. You should continue to follow your physician’s treatment recommendations.

Do you have any other recommendations for MS patients?
At this point in time, practicing good hygiene is the most effective measure you can take to avoid the swine flu, particularly frequent hand washing or use of hand disinfectants, and avoiding close contact with individuals with cough or other symptoms suggestive of the flu.

The good news is that the swine flu may turn out not to be an especially virulent virus. For more general information on swine flu, including its incubation period, patterns of infection, symptoms, and more information about specific treatments, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website: www.cdc.gov

Please click HERE to read "Children and Pregnant Women who may be Infected with Swine-Origin Influenza Virus: Considerations for Clinicians".

Rocky Mountain MS Center Receives $35,000
through Denver Post Season To Share

Please read press release HERE

Legislation that makes a difference

UPDATE: House Bill 1059 will be signed by Gov. Bill Ritter on 9:45 a.m. on
Saturday, May 2, 2009 at
Broomfield City Hall
1 Descombes Drive
Broomfield, CO 80020

House Bill 1059 definitively passed the Senate on March 16, 2009. It is now awaiting the signiture of the governor. The signing date, which is still to be determined, is expected to be soon.

Feb. 16, 2009:

The Rocky Mountain MS Center has been instrumental in the creation and legislative progress of a bill that will direct insurance companies to cover the cost of routine treatment for clients who choose to enroll in clinical trials.

The Rocky Mountain MS Center is proud to be partnering with Colorado State Representative Dianne Primavera (D-Broomfield) as well as a number of other organizations, including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, in pushing through this vital, life-saving bill.

House Bill 1059 would assist patients – including those who live with MS – by requiring insurance companies to cover basic health benefits for patients who participate in clinical trials. Currently, coverage of basic medical treatment can be denied to those who enroll in a clinical trial.

In early February the bill passed out of the Health and Human Services Committee unanimously and moved to the House. On Feb. 13 it then passed the House on a 61-0 vote. The bill is now awaiting Senate action.

Dr. Timothy Vollmer, the medical director of the Rocky Mountain MS Center, testified to members of the Health and Human Services Committee on the importance of the bill.

"Clinical trials are the lifeblood of medical advances," said Dr. Vollmer. "When people are faced with their own mortality, they should be able to seek treatment outside the standard realm if necessary. And if health insurance plans covered usual medical costs, even when patients are participating in clinical trials, more patients could participate in clinical trials - leading to an increase in the rate of treatment improvements."

The legislation does not hold health insurance companies liable for charges incurred as a result of the clinical trial; that would fall to the drug maker or hospital running the trial. It does, however, prevent health insurance carriers from denying coverage for routine care to those who choose to seek experimental treatments.

"Clinical research is the best hope for thousands of Coloradans who suffer from debilitating and life-threatening conditions," said Rep. Primavera, a four-time cancer survivor who personally benefited from a clinical trial after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. "Unfortunately, right now many people who might benefit from clinical trials do not participate due to fears of being dropped by their insurance plans during a clinical trial. I wouldn’t be here without a clinical trial - I was treated with Tamoxifen before it was approved for widespread treatment of breast cancer, and it did a world of good. When patients turn to clinical trials of experimental treatments, they shouldn’t have to worry about being dropped from their policies."

Rep. Primavera went on to say that the bill, while similar to those that exist in 23 states, is more expansive and "would benefit those suffering from any condition that is disabling, progressive, or life-threatening," not just specific illnesses, such as cancer.

Her statement alluded to the significance of this bill in the search for a cure for MS. The bill likely means that more people with MS will participate in clinical trials, thus furthering research efforts. Each discovery takes us one step closer to finding a cure.

Read news release here.