Baylor Institute for Rehabilitation has been named a Partner in Rehabilitative MS Care by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, becoming the first such partner in the country's South Central region (New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas) and one of only 26 in the U.S. Baylor Rehab and the National MS Society will celebrate the designation Friday.
Partners in MS Care is a national program that recognizes and supports quality MS care, encouraging strong collaboration between MS clinics and the society to create optimal care and support for people living with multiple sclerosis.
"Baylor Rehab is dedicated to providing quality care for individuals with multiple sclerosis," said Dr. Katherine Meredith, neuropsychologist and program director for Baylor Rehab's Multiple Sclerosis Center of Rehabilitation and Treatment (MS-CoRT). "Becoming a Partner in Care is an exciting opportunity to build on the quality care we currently provide and work toward further increasing availability of resources for individuals with MS and their caregivers."
The announcement brings attention to the Institute's comprehensive treatment of individuals with MS. Earlier this month, Baylor Rehab formally established the multidisciplinary MS-CoRT program, which is aimed at providing wide-ranging, evidence-based clinical care to patients, as well as education to patients, caregivers and the community.
A unique component of the program is its link to the Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Center of Dallas, with hopes of collaborating with other MS-treating neurology clinics. This close collaboration with the neurologists allows for improved continuity of care and increased communication between providers to optimize treatment.
The MS-CoRT program was created to coordinate the range of medical and rehabilitation needs for individuals with MS in one setting. The goal is to minimize the complexities of managing appointments and help improve the quality and consistency of care.
The range of services includes physical therapy, women's and men's health, occupational therapy, speech language pathology, neuropsychology, health psychology, physiatry, and an option for in-home care through the Real Life Rehabilitation program. The clinic also provides an educational series for patients with MS and their caregivers, covering topics such as the basics of MS and managing daily activities with MS.
"It took a great deal of vision and planning by our key clinicians to pull this together, especially Dr. Meredith, but that effort will now pay off for those affected by MS in the north Texas area," said PJ Gillard, PT, vice president of outpatient services. "Baylor Rehab can now be the answer to many of the questions that those living with MS may have."
Friday's ceremony unveiling the MS partnership designation will be at the Baylor Tom Landry Fitness Center, 411 N. Washington Ave., Dallas.
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About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White promotes the health and well-being of every individual, family and community it serves. It is committed to making quality care more accessible, convenient and affordable through its integrated delivery network, which includes the Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, the Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and its leading digital health platform – MyBSWHealth. Through 51 hospitals and more than 1,200 access points, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple, the system offers the full continuum of care, from primary to award-winning specialty care. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White today serves more than three million Texans. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com