Dear Members of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC):
The leadership of the Board of Governors of the CMSC has crafted and approved the following position statement –
The CMSC’s Vision is to be the pre-eminent organization of MS healthcare professionals whose goal is to improve the lives of all those affected by MS. Our mission is designed to fulfill that vision through education, skills development, research, networking, training, and the development and implementation of the highest quality standards of care.
In 2020, the MS professional community, has faced the COVID-19 pandemic with innovative strategies such as telehealth, flexible protocols, and the COVID-19 Infections in MS and Related Diseases (COViMS) registry to name a few. However, the prevalence of high burden of COVID-19 disease in communities of color and the recent killings of African American citizens are shocking reminders of the centuries- long history of unacceptable racism in the United States.
The CMSC leadership calls upon its members to uphold our core values, by working to enhance and promote diversity and inclusion within and outside of our organization, equality for all, including equality in healthcare. Furthermore, the gap needs to close on racial and ethnic health care disparities- all of us need to unite and come together as one voice.
The Board of Governors of the CMSC condemns racism in any form and deplores its effects on our members, patients and families, their communities, and the United States of America and beyond.
Michael K. Racke, MD
President
Scott D. Newsome, DO
President-Elect
Gary Cutter, PhD
Past-President
Anne Haney Cross, MD
Secretary
Patricia Bobryk, PT
Treasurer
