Edwards, Colo. • July 29, 2010 – Can Do Multiple Sclerosis’s free one-day JUMPSTART Program (http://www.mscando.org/multiple-sclerosis-programs/jumpstart/), held Aug. 7, 2010 at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, is an educational and interactive program where people with MS and support partners learn the knowledge, skills and tools to adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors and actively co-manage their MS. This JUMPSTART Program, held in collaboration with the National MS Society, provides presentations, workshops and interactive sessions so participants can see themselves beyond the challenges of their MS. 

“Traditional medical models for managing chronic disease tend to overlook many important aspects of living with MS, including the emotional, interpersonal, mental and social health of a patient,” said Kim Sharkey, CEO, Can Do MS. “We offer a comprehensive, personalized and interdisciplinary approach to enable people to become active co-managers of their health and well-being.”

Can Do MS connects the expertise of industry professionals from across the field of MS care management, including neurologists, psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, speech and language pathologists, registered nurses, physicians and nutritionists. Each JUMPSTART Program is customized and covers topics ranging from how to deal with cognitive and fatigue issues to goal-setting, nutrition, exercise and maintaining emotional well-being.

Featured presentations and workshops scheduled for the Roanoke JUMPSTART Program  include: MS Research, Eating Well, Eating Easy, Prioritizing your Health and a workshop for support partners. This program also allows support partners, such as family members and/or friends, to be acknowledged, understood, accepted and respected by a community of peers and health professionals.

A national nonprofit organization based in Edwards, Colorado, Can Do Multiple Sclerosis is an innovative provider of lifestyle empowerment programs that empower people with MS and their support partners to transform and improve their quality of life. For more information, visit the organization’s website at www.mscando.org or call 970-926-1290. 

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