Providing Long-Term Health Care for People with MS is a new program for professionals co-sponsored by the Mid America and Gateway Area Chapters of the MS Society and by the Central Plains Geriatric Education Center at KUMC. Held on March 31, 2010 from 2:00 - 6:00 p.m. on the campus of the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, the program will be simulcast to sites across Kansas and Missouri. Encourage the health care professional in your life to sign up today by calling (913) 588-1464 or emailing gec@kumc.edu.
Click the links for a brochure or flyer for this program.
Multiple Sclerosis in the 21st Century
This innovative eight-hour course, developed in conjunction with the Johnson County Community College will provide health care professionals with an introduction to multiple sclerosis, including the most current information about etiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment strategies and the psychosocial impact on individuals and families. To ensure that participants can apply this information to their clinical work, the program faculty includes a neurologist, nurse, rehabilitation specialist and mental health professional. Case vignettes and discussion will be used to illustrate the variability and unpredictability of this chronic illness, and the role of each discipline in its management. RNs, LPNs, social workers, counselors and dietitians will earn 8 contact hours. ACHAs will earn 6 (RC) hours. Approval is pending for PTs and OTs.
CRN 51640
Date: F/Jul. 16, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Regnier Center
Instructors: Christine Boutwell, Patrick Caffey, Renee Hughes, Tally Bell
Fee: $96 (B&G $84) 1 session
Network member fee: $32 CRN 51641
Click here for more information.
Register today at JCCC.edu
Learning Objectives:
- Describe MS and discuss at least two treatment strategies
- Discuss the prevalence of MS-related mood and cognitive changes and their impact on individuals and family members
- Identify possible MS symptoms and describe the strategies use to manage them
- Describe rehabilitation’s role in MS care
- Discuss the impact of MS on family dynamics
- List at least three society and local resources for themselves and their patients
Christine Boutwell, MD, is a general neurologist in private practice since 2000 with affiliation to St. Luke’s Brain and Stroke Institute. She has been the principal investigator on several multiple sclerosis clinical trials and an investigator in stroke protocol. She completed medical school and an internal medicine residency at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and her neurology residency at the University of Kansas. Dr. Boutwell is a member of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Mid-America Chapter Clinical Advisory Committee.
Patrick Caffrey, PhD, is a licensed psychologist with more than 25 years experience as a rehabilitation psychologist and neuropsychologist providing direct patient care in brain injury rehabilitation hospitals and acute hospital settings. He has additional extensive experience as a vocational specialist, regional manager in rehabilitation, site supervisor of psychological services, visiting university lecturer and in hospital teaching. Dr. Caffrey, as a neuropsychologist, was group facilitator for the MS Achievement Center at the Rehabilitation Institute for two years and has served on the Clinical Advisory Committee for the Mid-America Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society since 2005.
Renee Hughes, PT, has been a practicing physical therapist for 31 years at the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City. Her career has allowed her a range of experience but nearly all focused in the area of neurorehabilitation working with individuals after stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury or individuals with neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis. She has served on the board of directors of the Missouri Brain Injury Association and the Kansas City Wheelchair Athletic Association. Hughes has been doing a weekly physical therapy group for the MS Achievement Center since 2004.
Tally Bell, RN, MN, CNRN, ACNP-BC, ARNP, is an acute care nurse practitioner with Neurology Consultants of Kansas in Wichita. Bell has written multiple neuroscience- and critical care-related publications. From 1996-1997, she served as the national president of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses. She received an associate degree in Nursing from Kettering College of Medical Arts in Kettering, Ohio, and a BSN, MN and post-master’s certificate from Wichita State University. She is board-certified in neuroscience nursing and as an acute care nurse practitioner.
Professional Education
Working in conjunction with partner organizations and accrediting bodies, the Mid America Chapter sponsors frequent educational programs that offer continuing education credits to qualified professionals.
Diagnosing Multiple Sclerosis: Clinically Isolated Syndrome
Clinical Cases in the Diagnosis and Management of Early Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is often heralded by a single demyelinating event known as a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) but in many cases it is unrecognized, as opposed to clinically definite MS (CDMS). The timely identification of CIS is important because early treatment with one of the disease-modifying drugs may significantly improve symptoms and delay onset of CDMS. The clinical data indicates that many CIS patients will benefit from treatment with disease-modifying agents at an early stage rather than waiting for additional symptoms.
Via interactive case presentations, this program will review the initial diagnosis of MS and early treatment options. The program presents both recent clinical data and expert opinion on the potential clinical benefits of the early diagnosis and management of CIS.
The Multiple Sclerosis Nurses International Certification (MSCN) can be completed through the Professional Testing Organization (http://www.ptcny.com/). See site for dates and locations. Eligible candidates are registered nurses who have a minimum of two years experience with MS patients.
Become a Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist (MSCS). Certification is supported by The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers and aims to promote quality and consistent care to people with MS and their families. You must have a minimum of 1year experience to be eligible for this certification and be a licensed health professional.
The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers also offers CME Presentations online for continuing education credit.
RnCeus.com offers a variety of courses for credit online, including Multiple Sclerosis: Caring for the Patient (4 contact hours) by Maureen Habel, RN, MA, CRRN.
Many of these listings are opportunities provided through other organizations for continuing education credits and MS certification. The information about upcoming educational opportunities is provided as a courtesy and does not connote that the National Multiple Sclerosis Society recognizes superiority in products or services, including education, provided by the sponsoring entity over other entities providing like or similar products or services, including education. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society assumes no responsibility for determining whether the programs listed here meet the requirements for continuing education of any and all professional disciplines.