Michelle Cameron is Associate Director of Research at the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence (MSCoE), a Neurologist at VA Portland Health Care System, and Associate Professor at Oregon Health & Science University. Jodie Haselkorn is MSCoEWest Director, a Physiatrist at VA Puget Sound Health Care System and a Professor at the University of Washington Schools of Medicine and Public Health in Seattle. Mitchell Wallin is MSCoE-East Director, a Neurologist at Washington DC VA Medical Center, and an Associate Professor at George Washington University in Washington, DC.
Correspondence: Michelle Cameron (michelle.cameron@ va.gov)
Author disclosures
The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest with regard to this article.
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Federal Practitioner, Frontline Medical Communications Inc., the US Government, or any of its agencies.
The MSCoE is funded by VA Central Office through the Office of Specialty Care by Special Purpose funds. The directive specifies that funding for the regional and support programs is through Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation based on VISN and facility workload and complexity. Any research is funded separately through grants, some from VA R&D and others from other sources including the National Institutes of Health, the Patient Centered Outcome Research Institute, affiliated universities, the NMSS, the MS Society of Canada, the Consortium of MS Centers, foundations, and industry.
In 2019, MSCoE investigators received grants totaling > $18 million in funding. In-kind support also is provided by the PVA, the CMSC, the NMSS, and others. The first 3 foundations have been supporters since the inception of the MSCoE and have provided opportunities for the dissemination of education and research for HCPs, fellows, residents and medical students; travel; meeting rooms for MSCoE national meetings; exhibit space for HCP outreach; competitive research and educational grant support; programming and resources for veterans and significant others; organizational expertise; and opportunities for VA HCPs, veterans, and caregivers to learn how to navigate MS with others in the private sector.
The MSCoE had a tremendous impact on improving the consistency and quality of care for veterans with MS through clinical care, research, education and informatics and telehealth. Since opening in 2003, there has been an increase in the number of MS specialty clinics, served veterans with MS, and veterans receiving specialty neurologic and rehabilitation services in VA. Research programs in MS have been initiated to address key questions relevant to veterans with MS, including immunology, epidemiology, clinical care, and rehabilitation. Educational programs and products have evolved with technology and had a greater impact through partnerships with veteran and MS nonprofit organizations.
MSCoE strives to minimize impairment and maximize quality of life for veterans with MS by leveraging integrated electronic health records, data repositories, and telehealth services. These efforts have all improved veteran health, access and safety. We look forward to continuing into the next decade by bringing fresh ideas to the care of veterans with MS, their families and caregivers.
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