Fw: News release from UT Southwestern March 12, 2001

[Guest guest]

UTSWNEWS@...

Martha Murdock, Director

National Silicone Implant Foundation

Dallas, Texas Headquarters

----- Original Message -----

From: " Robin Amerine " <Robin.Amerine@...>

<UTSWNEWS@...>

Sent: Monday, March 12, 2001 10:49 AM

Subject: News release from UT Southwestern March 12, 2001

Media Contact: Mindy Baxter

214-648-3404

melinda.baxter@...

U.S. CONGRESS CREATES NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS TRAINING SITE AT UT

SOUTHWESTERN

DALLAS - March 12, 2001 - UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas will be

the site of the new National Training Program for the Comprehensive Care of

Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis funded by the U.S. Congress.

The UT Southwestern program, in collaboration with the National Multiple

Sclerosis Society, will bring neurologists from across the country to the

Dallas campus for specific training in treating patients with multiple

sclerosis. Ultimately, similar programs would be established at major

academic medical centers throughout the nation. The program is funded for

one year at $900,000, and funding for future years is yet to be determined.

Patients will be the main beneficiaries of the program, said Dr. Elliot

Frohman, head of UT Southwestern's MS program.

Frohman wrote the appropriations bill presented to Congress. Sen. Kay

Hutchison (R-Texas) and Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-Texas) sponsored the bill.

" This program will directly translate to better care for people with MS, "

said Frohman, who will direct the new training program at UT Southwestern.

" An MS patient has many different health issues, including bone loss,

urological issues and depression, as well as treatment for MS progression.

Having a doctor well-versed in all those issues can really make an impact on

the patient's life. "

MS is the most common disabling neurological disorder of young people and

affects approximately 350,000 Americans, most between the ages of 20 and 40.

An autoimmune disorder, it attacks the central nervous system and damages

the myelin sheath, the protective material that surrounds nerve fibers in

the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. The illness causes numbness,

weakness, visual blurring and slurred speech, among other

symptoms. While not fatal, MS leads to life-altering disabilities. Patients

often cannot walk and

may suffer from incontinence or tremors. The exact cause of MS is unknown,

and there is no cure or way to prevent it; however, effective treatments are

available to reduce the attacks and slow progression of the disease.

The UT Southwestern program would enable neurologists to earn continuing

medical education credits for completing the MS preceptorship. Neurologists

participating in the week-long program would observe patient and doctor

interaction, work through various treatment scenarios and take assessment

exams before completing the course.

" Multiple sclerosis patients often see their neurologists more than they do

their family physicians, " Frohman said. " Neurologists need to be prepared to

treat the whole patient. Ultimately, this could lead to cost savings if one

physician can provide total care for the MS patient. "

At the UT Southwestern MS program, patients have access to wide-ranging

treatments and cutting-edge clinical trials.

Frohman, an assistant professor of neurology and ophthalmology, sees that

model of care expanded to other metropolitan centers.

" We want to raise the bar of excellence for treatment of MS patients, " he

said.

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This news release is available on our World Wide Web home page at

http://www3.utsouthwestern.edu/news/