UC Davis Health has been recognized as a Center for Comprehensive MS Care through the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Network of MS Healthcare Professionals. This recognition honors UC Davis’s commitment to high-quality multiple sclerosis (MS) care.

"We are honored to receive the Comprehensive Care designation from the National MS Society. This is a testament to the excellence in care of our UC Davis Multiple Sclerosis Center,” said Michelle Apperson, director of the UC Davis Multiple Sclerosis Center. Apperson is a clinical professor and the neuromuscular and neuroimmunology section chief in the Department of Neurology.

About multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disabling disease of the central nervous system. The body’s own immune system attacks myelin tissues and the cells creating them. Myelin are protective tissues around the axons of the neurons. They insulate the neuron and allow faster signal transfer.

An estimated 1 million people live with MS in the United States, and it is about three times more common in women than men. While the disease onset is unpredictable, most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50.

MS symptoms can include numbness and tingling, muscle weakness or stiffness that causes mobility challenges, vision blurriness and cognitive difficulties. There is currently no cure for MS.

Providing the best MS care

The Comprehensive MS Care Center distinction is determined by a local and national committee. The organization must demonstrate coordinated, multidisciplinary care for MS.

“We are proud to partner with UC Davis to enhance dedicated care for the people who live with MS,” said Elizabeth Tilley, director of provider engagement at the National MS Society. “In earning this recognition, UC Davis has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in MS care, regardless of disease progression and other disparities affecting people in the MS community.”

UC Davis team of neurologists, rehabilitation therapists and mental health experts deliver lifelong care for patients with MS.

“Our MS-trained neurologists and nurse practitioners provide high quality, compassionate and multidisciplinary care to patients,” Apperson said. “With this new designation, we continue to extend our outreach to people with MS, especially those living in Greater Sacramento and the outlying rural areas.”

About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society

The National MS Society, founded in 1946, funds cutting-edge research, drives change through advocacy, and provides programs and services to help people affected by MS live their best lives.

Related resources:

Learn about multiple sclerosis

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To refer a patient, submit an electronic referral form or call 800-4-UCDAVIS.