Up Front
By Douglas G. Franklin
MSAA President and CEO
Douglas G.Franklin,
MSAA President and CEO
MSAA welcomes the re-introduction of Tysabri to the marketplace. The Food and Drug Administration approved its return along with stringent safety protocols. Patient safety is our primary concern and we are pleased that many of our concerns have been addressed in these protocols.
In other news, MSAA just completed a very successful Board meeting while attending the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers' (CMSC) Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona. During this time, we also held a Healthcare Advisory Council meeting with our professional volunteers under the able chairmanship of Dr. Jack Burks, MSAA's vice president and chief medical officer.
At MSAA's Board meeting, Board members voted unanimously on a formal position supporting stem cell research associated with multiple sclerosis. MSAA's stem cell policy is as follows: "Stem cell research has the potential to positively affect the lives of individuals with MS. Therefore, MSAA supports stem cell research related to MS within ethical and legal standards."
Our Board also engaged in a strategic planning workshop, setting the stage for a summer of high activity, crafting a new, three-year strategic plan for MSAA. This will be reviewed and voted into place by the Board members at the next meeting in September.
This year's CMSC meeting was the largest and best to date. MSAA enthusiastically participated in educational sessions, while promoting awareness of MSAA's programs and services from our booth in the exhibition area. In addition, we were the proud winners of the Berlex award for our poster on MSAA's Needs Assessment Survey.
The MS Coalition was also very active at this conference. The group held an orientation dinner, a roundtable discussion, and two concurrent workshops. These activities provided an excellent platform to explain the goals of the Coalition and the spectrum of programs and services that each of the current founding members offer. Of particular significance was the participation and interest demonstrated by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Their enthusiasm for working together heralds a new era of potential cooperation and collaboration for all of us working for the same cause: to help individuals with MS in every way we can.
In closing, MSAA was shocked and saddened at the sudden death of our Regional Director Renée Williams, from MSAA's Midwest Office in Ohio. Renee was a wonderful person whose infectious smile and spirit will be forever with us. She was a model member of the staff who loved her work; the MS world has suffered a loss in her passing. We will all miss her, but the work she inspired will carry on in all of us.
Douglas G. Franklin joined MSAA as President & Chief Executive Officer in 1999 and has strategically guided its national outreach and corporate partnership support to unprecedented levels. Mr. Franklin is a former national trainer for the Drucker Foundation and is an internationally published expert in the field of social marketing who holds degrees from four universities. He currently serves on the national board of the Key Philanthropic Organizations Committee of the American Society of Association Executives and is a member of the Executive Committee of Health First - America's Charities Board in Washington, DC.
Meet MSAA Board Member Jeri Canter
Jeri Canter enjoying time with her dogs Max and Rosco
Jeri Canter found herself in a new world when diagnosed with MS in 2004, unsure of what the diagnosis would mean for her. She confided in one of her friends, MSAA Board member Mark Stine, about her MS, which led Jeri to MSAA. Mark informed Jeri of the services that MSAA provides and gave her MSAA's toll-free Helpline phone number.
"When I called the Helpline," says Jeri, "I spoke with Cindy Richman. She was instrumental in helping me deal with my diagnosis." (Cindy previously worked as a Helpline consultant for MSAA; she now holds the position of MSAA's senior director of services.)
Jeri was inspired after her first phone call to MSAA's Helpline. "From that first life-changing contact," states Jeri, "I knew I wanted to be a part of MSAA as a member on the Board. I wanted to help people and spread the word of all the good that MSAA does."
Since Jeri's first contact with MSAA was through the Helpline, it has become one of Jeri's favorite services that MSAA provides. "The Helpline is amazing," Jeri says. "It leaves you with the feeling that you are not alone; it is a very positive experience. The Helpline was the key for me in getting over the initial shock of diagnosis and enabling me to move forward with my life."
As a pharmacist at Walgreens (a pharmacy and store chain), Jeri has provided the Helpline number to numerous customers and cannot stop singing its praises. She is also pleased that the Helpline has added a bilingual consultant to help the Spanish-speaking community.
As well as being a healthcare professional and an MS advocate, Jeri has been an MSAA Board member since 2004. She is also involved in MSAA's budget and financial accountability by serving on the audit committee. Born and raised in Florida, Jeri remains active in the southern Florida community, where she resides with her two cats and two dogs.
— Amanda Bednar
