Swedish Multiple Sclerosis Center

My first encounter with Swedish’s Multiple Sclerosis Center and its crack team of professionals was last year when I attended a Partner in MS Care reception. This reception was celebrating the partnership of the center with the northwest chapter of the National MS Society. The scope of this partnership; to provide programs, most of them free, with the ongoing goals being, to «treat the whole patient» and help them achieve their highest level of well-​being. You see, the MS Center and indeed the Swedish Neuroscience Institute believe that a person’s mental well-​being is just as important as their physical well-​being if diagnosed with MS or any other neurological disorder. Having lived with MS since 2002, I strongly share that belief. The MS Center at Swedish, like other MS centers is at its core, a clinic; however, this particular center is more than just a clinic, it is a place for support-​groups to meet, a center that offers not only targeted physical and occupational therapies, but also, pet and music therapies, yoga, pilates, meditation and more.
. Finally, they all take place in the inviting, comfortable and state-​of-​the-​art facility at Swedish Medical Center’s Jefferson tower at the Cherry Hill Campus. Since the aforementioned reception, I have met and talked with nearly everyone at the MS Center, including the center’s director, Dr. Jim Bowen, and everyone there is friendly, extremely knowledgeable and are genuinely passionate about their jobs. Back on April 1^st, the MS Center at Swedish, gave me permission, a room and the materials to volunteer and give back to my community with an absolutely free program called Get Back Your Music. Since then, Guitar Center donated a new piano keyboard to the center, one of KING TV’s digital producers donated her electronic drum set, The Trading Musician donated an amplifier to power the electronic drums and a local resident donated a beautiful classical guitar. This, because they believe in what I am doing, which is simply not giving up, and teaching other neurologically challenged musicians how I got back my music and how they can get theirs back. This KING 5 HealthLink story on Get Back Your Music says it all
. If you know anyone with a neurological condition, musician or not, Please let them know about this free Wednesday, program, the information is here
. It could very well change their life for the better. Kudos to MS Center director and patient coordinator for making this possible and indeed, to Swedish Medical Center. If you have MS or know anyone living with MS, I highly recommend visiting the MS Center at Swedish. You’ll be delighted you did.