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The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) (http://www.mscare.org) installed its newly elected officers during the Annual Meeting of CMSC & ACTRIMS (Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis) in Dallas, TX. CMSC leadership now includes professionals from neurology, social work, psychology and physiotherapy.

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC), Nurse Practitioners Alternatives (NPA), and The France Foundation are presenting two live educational forums that will provide up-to-date information on the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). AIMS (Advances in Multiple Sclerosis) will take place on Saturday, September 20th, at the Omni New Haven Hotel in New Haven, CT, and Saturday, October 11th, at the Marriott World Center in Orlando, FL. These complimentary half-day sessions (www.cmscscholar.org) will provide neurologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, rehabilitation professionals, and other health care professionals with up-to-date information on the treatment of MS.

The Foundation of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (FCMSC),(http://www.csmcfoundation.org) recently awarded its Whitaker Prize for MS Research to Albert Joseph, from The University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. His findings “Right Under our Noses: Pathology in Central Nervous System Demyelinating Diseases.” will increase the understanding of the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis.

The Summer 2014 issue of the leading peer-reviewed publication on multidisciplinary multiple sclerosis (MS) care, the International Journal of MS Care (IJMSC), www.ijmsc.org, features an article on "The Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale” by Setareh Ghahari, Lana S. Khoshbin, and Susan J. Forwell. Since the importance of self-management is widely acknowledged in MS care, this cross-sectional study is significant in finding that the MSSM possesses satisfactory to good test-retest reliability, moderate to high criterion validity, and moderate face validity.

Providing a unique forum for healthcare professionals to learn about the latest research, diagnosis and treatment for multiple sclerosis, the Cooperative Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS®) attracted a record number of healthcare professionals to its annual meeting. Over the course of four days, May 28-31, close to 2,000 neurologists, nurses, pharmacists, rehabilitations professionals, psychologists and other disciplines, attended the conference at the Anatole Hilton in Dallas, TX. “The CMSC & ACTRIMS Annual Meeting opened my eyes to international opportunities in multiple sclerosis care and research,” said Albert Joseph of The University of Oxford. The Annual Meeting focused on a multiple sclerosis collaborative care model and covered: basic and clinical research; disease modifying treatments and new and emerging therapies; as well as rehabilitation; psychosocial issues; gender specific concerns; advocacy issues and quality of life strategies. Highlights of the 2014 CMSC & ACTRIMS Annual Meeting included: -Over 40 educational sessions and lectures, 30 platform presentations and a variety of poster sessions offering continuing education credit for physicians, nurses, psychologists, pharmacists and social workers. -Topics of high interest included: “Tolerance-Directed Immunotherapy: Future of MS Treatment?” “Stem Cell Update;” “The North American Registry for Care and Research in MS (NARCRMS);” and “Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy that Improves Fatigue in MS Patients.” -Eight independently supported satellite symposia offering additional continuing education credit opportunities. -Unique educational opportunities including daily opening lectures with top MS experts, Meet the Professor dinner, on-site multiple sclerosis nurses certification exam; breakout sessions and meeting for special interest groups. -In-depth discussion of important topics on multiple sclerosis and comprehensive care including “The Role of the Advanced Practice Clinician;” “Nutrition and MS;” “Complementary and Alternative Medicine:’ “Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO) Update;” and “Gender Issues in MS.” -Special Interest Group content and meetings for rehabilitation therapists, private practitioners, pharmacists, young investigators, mental health professionals, and VA healthcare professionals. -Networking opportunities including poster sessions, platform presentations, morning exercise programs, and evening entertainment with a concert by country star, Clay Walker. -Top exhibitors showcasing the latest in products and services for multiple sclerosis care. In addition, numerous awards were presented at the conference that recognized the achievement of young scholars, poster presenters, MS researchers, and CMSC members. The 2014 Award Winners were:

The 2014 Cooperative Meeting of CMSC (Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers) & ACTRIMS® (Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis), www.cmsc-actrims.org, is taking place May 28-31, 2014 in the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, TX. The CMSC & ACTRIMS Cooperative Meeting is the only event in North America that provides health care professionals, from a wide range of disciplines and all over the world, with the latest information, treatment advancements, and research in multiple sclerosis. The Annual Meeting focuses on the comprehensive care model and covers: basic and clinical research; disease modifying treatments and new and emerging therapies; epidemiology, genetics, and epigenetics; symptomatic care, immunology and pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis; neuroimaging and biomarkers; rehabilitation; psychosocial issues; multiple sclerosis collaborative care; gender specific concerns; advocacy issues and quality of life strategies.

Current information on stem cells and multiple sclerosis will be the topic of discussion at the “Meet the Professor” dinner taking place May 28th at the 2014 Cooperative Meeting of CMSC (Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers) & ACTRIMS® (Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Scle Featuring Dr. Mark Freedman, Professor of Neurology at the University of Ottawa and the senior scientist at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, this unique educational opportunity will provide insight on the various types of stem cells, the trials and tribulations taking place, as well as where the stem cells field is heading in terms of treating MS in the next 5 years.

The leading peer-reviewed publication on multiple sclerosis (MS) clinical care, the International Journal of MS Care (IJMSC), has received two industry awards: an Award of Distinction in the 2014 Communicator Awards competition, and a Gold Award in the 2014 Hermes Creative Awards contest. The IJMSC publishes high-quality research, reviews, and consensus papers on a broad range of clinical topics of interest to MS health-care professionals, including neurological treatment, nursing care, rehabilitation, neuropsychological status, and psychiatric/psychosocial care. It is the official publication of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC).

The 2014 Cooperative Meeting of CMSC (Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers) & ACTRIMS® (Americas Committee for the Research and Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis) has introduced a mobile app that attendees can use to make their visit to the event an even more productive experience. This leading conference for healthcare professionals and researchers involved in MS clinical care and research, will take place May 28-31, 2014 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas, TX.

The 2014 Cooperative Meeting of CMSC (Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers) & ACTRIMS® (Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis), announces continuing education credits for pharmacists at its upcoming annual meeting. The CMSC & ACTRIMS Cooperative Meeting is an annual international forum of healthcare professionals committed to improving lives of people with MS through a variety of educational strategies in comprehensive care and with a team approach.