POMONA, Calif. (December 22, 2010) - In its continued efforts to provide specialized services for adults
suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation's
Multiple Sclerosis Center is inviting the community and educators to attend
a free seminar, "Living With Multiple Sclerosis," on Tuesday,
January 18, 2011 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The seminar will be held at Casa
Colina Centers for Rehabilitation's Tamkin Education Center, Building
1D, located at 255 East Bonita Avenue (at Garey) in Pomona.
According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, approximately 400,000
Americans have MS, and every week about 200 people are diagnosed. Worldwide,
MS affects about 2.5 million people. It is a chronic, unpredictable disease
of the central nervous system (the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord).
MS is thought to be an autoimmune disorder which means the immune system
incorrectly attacks the person's healthy tissue. It can cause blurred
vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness,
extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis, blindness and more.
The seminar will feature presenters from the Casa Colina Multiple Sclerosis
Center including: board-certified neurologist Richard Shubin, M.D., program
medical director; Gail Hartley, nurse practitioner and MS certified nurse;
and Kathy San Martino, physical therapist, neurological clinical specialist
and MS certified specialist who will present the latest information on
the following topics:
- New medications for MS patients
- Recent symptomatic and disease modifying treatments
- Rehabilitation tools and techniques that improve ambulation (i.e., aquatic
therapy, Bioness technology, and Walk Aide)
In addition, participants will receive educational materials provided by
the National MS Society as well as participate in a questions and answers
session with the featured presenters.
Casa Colina created the Multiple Sclerosis Center to fit the specific needs
of those with MS and it is the only facility of its kind in the area.
The neurologist-led team of MS experts takes a comprehensive approach
by examining all aspects of this disease that affect each individual -
focusing on the diagnoses, aftercare, education and support of the patient
and their family members. The Center's goals is to help improve the
patient's quality of life while stabilizing the disease by exploring
every possibility - from assistive devices to new medications, Botox treatments
and innovative therapies.
For more information about the free community seminar and to reserve a
seat, please visit
www.casacolina.org or call (866) 724-4132.
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About Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation
Casa Colina began in 1936 in Chino under the leadership of its founder
Frances Eleanor "Mother" Smith and neighboring physicians to
provide rehabilitative care to children recovering from polio. Polio was
at epidemic proportions and by the 1950s plans were developed to build
a new hospital in Pomona where children could be cared for by experienced
medical professionals. By 1960, when the new hospital was completed, the
new polio vaccine had wiped out the disease. Casa Colina refocused its
medical and physical rehabilitation services to concentrate on treating
people of all ages and disabilities. In the last decade, it has rebuilt
and renovated its entire 20-acre Pomona campus to include a state of the
art rehabilitation hospital, outpatient center, transitional living center,
children's center, adult day health care, imaging, surgery center
and other specialized services treating 10,000 people a year. For more
information, please visit
www.casacolina.org.