When it comes to the treatment of multiple sclerosis [MS], one size definitely does not fit all. MS is a progressive autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. Symptoms range from mild to extremely debilitating; some come and go, while others linger or worsen over time. The condition is unpredictable, and every case is different.
The Fairview Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center was founded 21 years ago by neurologist Dr. Randy Shapiro. At the time, Shapiro’s mother was living with advanced MS, and he was looking for a better solution than putting her in a nursing home. So he built a groundbreaking program that would give people with MS access to excellent physical therapy, emotional and cognitive support, and social interaction.
Since then, the MS Achievement Center has grown into an adult day program staffed by a multidisciplinary team of therapists, social workers, and chaplains. They work individually with each of the 150 patients (or members, as they’re called), designing a program to address their individual needs. Most members attend two days a week. “One of the things that Dr. Shapiro always talks about is the importance of rehabilitation,” says Cathy Tobias, director of the Center. “We want to [help patients’ maintain] function in spite of the progression of the disease. We take a very holistic approach.”
That approach may include stretching exercises, arts and crafts, wheelchair aerobics, case management, support groups—all important aspects of chronic-disease management, but mostly not covered by insurance plans. Reorganizing as a licensed adult day program in 2005 helped the reimbursement model a little, but finances are still a struggle and the Center always welcomes donations and volunteers, says Tobias.
Eventually she hopes the insurance industry will notice that programs like the MS Achievement Center have tangible financial benefits.
“What we’re really doing, ultimately, is saving them money,” she says.
“We’re reducing acute episodes of care, catching them quickly before they end up in the hospital with something really dramatic. [Treating] a Stage V wound costs $73,000. But if someone comes here, we’re more likely to catch it at Stage I. Just look what we can save.”
Some of Tobias’s colleagues have pointed out that the directorship of the Center is perfectly suited for her. The job makes use of her dual educational background in occupational therapy and business, and allows her to do the community outreach she loves. She is a dynamo, going so far as to volunteer for the Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association in her free time.
“What energizes me every day is the people who attend here,” she says. “Each one of them is more courageous than the next. I give a tremendous amount of time, but they always give me back more than I could give them. You hear how much the program means to them and what they are going through, and you just think, ‘I’ll never complain again.’”
