By: Marie LeGrand
Greetings from the Midwest Region! I am the newest member of the team and as the Regional Director have had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful people and formed great relationships during the last few months.
As a healthcare leader, my journey has taken me to unexpected places and provided me the opportunity to enhance client and patient satisfaction; by creating and implementing services that promote healthy behaviors, and designing plans around health program expansion and extension. Before joining MSAA, I developed disease prevention programs and monitored the effects within community settings. I worked collaboratively with other nonprofit organizations; in increasing HIV awareness and prevention within underserved communities and high-risk groups in the city of Chicago. Through program development, health promotion, partnership building, and research & development, I created culturally sensitive and educational materials on key health issues.
As the Midwest Regional Director, I will work with MSAA in creating awareness and providing education, programs and services to individuals living with MS and their families. I have had the privilege of speaking and listening to the touching stories of individuals, who have started support groups and fundraising events that encourage others to stay positive and involved while finding ways in which to overcome the challenges of MS. Through them, I am empowered and excited every time I am asked about my profession and the work that MSAA does nationwide for the MS community. I am also pleased when my guests come up to me at the end of a program and proclaim how happy they are with the quality of work that we consistently do for them and their families. For many, it is an opportunity to meet new friends and create connections that will last a lifetime. For others, it is a time to laugh and share stories of encouragement and perseverance as well as giving tips on how to live life fabulously with MS!
In the next few months, I plan to reach out to those living in rural communities and small towns working with expert clinicians and health practitioners in the field to answer questions that many have pertaining to their health. Oftentimes, it is a very scary experience to speak with clinical staff or a physician. The programs are an open forum for many to address issues that are left unanswered in a friendly and inviting environment allowing them to discuss pertinent topics that affect daily living. I have a few educational programs that I am excited about, which covers a variety of topics such as, “The African American MS Patient Experience”, “Multiple Sclerosis in Women”, and “Adherence Matters”. I hope through these programs, many will become more knowledgeable about their MS.
