Aug 25, 2009
Northern California MS Volunteer Recognized by National MS Society
Tammy Pilisuk Joins Society’s Volunteer Hall of Fame for Her Work on Health Care Reform
Tammy Pilisuk has been selected by a national panel to be inducted into the National MS Society’s Volunteer Hall of Fame in recognition of her significant contribution in Advocacy. Pilisuk is a resident of Berkeley, California and has volunteered with the Northern California Chapter for over 18 years. She is the Government Relations Committee Chair for the Northern California Chapter. She holds a Master of Public Health from U.C. Berkeley and is a member of statewide MS – California Action Network and the National MS Society’s Federal Activism Council, an Advisory body to the Society’s Public Policy Office.
This past year, Pilisuk was recognized for proposing and spearheading Health Care Reform Principles, adopted by the National MS Society’s board of directors at the 2008 National Convention. “Tammy served as a leader in crafting the Society’s Health Care Reform Principles.” said Stewart Ferry, California Statewide Director of Advocacy for the National MS Society. “This document which is now in the hands of senior White House staff and Congressional representatives is a vital instrumental to ensure that people living with multiple sclerosis are not forgotten in the health care debate.”
Among her many accomplishments, Tammy has prepared policy analyses and briefs used by many state and federal legislators; presented at numerous Society events on self advocacy and long term care; conducted advocacy skills training sessions for MS Activists; and served on coalitions for health care reform, in-home care and Olmstead recommendations. She also received Northern California Leadership Award in 2001 for developing the self-advocacy model and in 2009 at California Neuro-Alliance Conference for her work on health care reform.
“Tammy dedicates herself both professionally and personally to serving people affected by MS,” said David Hartman, President of the Northern California Chapter. “Her work has impacted the many thousands of people living with MS in our community, and we congratulate her on being recognized at a national level.”
“My journey in MS advocacy has been a long one, nearly 20 years now,” said Pilisuk. “I do it because it’s part of the skills I learned in public health school and I spent many years working on long-term care and family care giving issues. I also do it because of what my family has experienced with MS, the disease my mom has had since before I was born.”
Pilisuk will receive her award at the Chapter’s Annual Meeting in December. On a national level, she will be recognized along with a select and esteemed group of the nation’s top performing volunteers.
To receive a full copy of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s National Heath Care Reform Principles, visit www.msconnection.org/advocacy or contact Julie Legrand at 415-230-6678 x 2016 or julie.legrand@nmss.org.