About Us
Dear patients, families, and colleagues:
At the UConn Health Multiple Sclerosis Center, we put our patients and their families first. We have a unique vision for MS and Neuroimmunology care and research. Many of us have been in our patients’ shoes, walking the complex nature of health care when our own family members struggled with neurological disease. We have seen many MS patients and families throughout the years suffer due to the lack of access to comprehensive, compassionate care and education as they deal with MS.
We provide personalized care, tailored to each patient’s individual medical needs, and we aim to assess the impact of the disease in each of our patient’s lives, allowing us to develop a unique, personalized care plan. Our team partners with you and your family. Our providers have a track record of dedication to advance the care of our patients, regardless of age, ethnicity, insurance, or walk of life. Our team will embrace you and your family to help you flourish, accomplish your goals, and reach your potential.
In an effort to find a cure, we engage in cutting-edge research to solve the puzzle of MS. We are leveraging all the clinical, scientific, and educational resources in the latest genomic, imaging technologies in our academic community; from Storrs to Farmington to collaborations with the Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine to Universities in all corners of the State and beyond.
We are here to help you in your journey, and we are committed to creating a world free of MS.
Jaime Imitola, M.D., FAAN
Director of Multiple Sclerosis and Translational Neuroimmunology
Vice Chair for Neurology Research, Department of Neurology
Our Goals
We aim to provide comprehensive, personalized medical care to patients with MS and other neuroimmunological disorders including NMO, ADEM, optic neuritis, transverse myelitis, neurosarcoidosis, Susac’s syndrome and related demyelinating disorders.
We aim to increase awareness and understanding in the community and among health care providers about prompt evaluation, initiation of treatment, and prevention of progression.
We aim to conduct research to better understand the causes of and best treatments for MS to stop progression and find ways to empower our patients.
Our Approach
Diagnosis: Despite new technology, the diagnosis of MS and other neuroimmunological diseases still relies on a doctor performing a detailed history, neurological examination, and review of the patient’s imaging.
Treatment: We will create a personalized plan with the goal of stopping MS in its track and avoiding the progression of disability, accumulation of new lesions, and worsening symptoms.
Infusion Services: We have highly qualified award-winning nursing to attend to your infusion needs.
MRI Services: To aid in diagnosing your condition, UConn Health uses advanced imaging tools including a 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine for superior images of patients’ brains and spinal cords.
Wheelchair Clinic: We also have a Wheelchair and Spasticity Clinic within the MS center where we administer and monitor treatments for severe and disabling stiffness (spasticity) in the limbs, a common symptom of MS.
Our Award-Winning Providers
Members of our team have received numerous awards for outstanding patient care and advancing the treatment of MS. Recent award winners include:
2021
Marina Creed, Nightingale Awards for Nursing Excellence
Marina Creed, Dr. Richard Simon Excellence in Clinical Neurosciences Award
Kim Fofana, Dr. Richard Simon Excellence in Clinical Neurosciences Award
Karen Nelson, Dr. Richard Simon Excellence in Clinical Neurosciences Award
Josauris Rivera, Dr. Richard Simon Excellence in Clinical Neurosciences Award
Kristen Vavrek, Dr. Richard Simon Excellence in Clinical Neurosciences Award
2020
Dr. Jaime Imitola, National MS Society’s Inspiration Award
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