Episode 338: Inside MS Advocacy and This Year's Public Policy Conference with Steffany Stern

You've probably heard me say more than once that the things people affected by MS want most -- access to quality healthcare, affordable prescription medications, and funding for MS research -- are, to a large extent, all functions of public policy. The people who decide whether we get these things are our elected officials. That's why advocacy is so critically important. The National MS Society's Public Policy Conference gets underway on March 4th, and joining me with a preview of this year's conference is the MS Society's Vice-President of Advocacy, Steffany Stern. We're also taking a deep dive into a paper just published by a group of MS experts detailing the current status of progressive MS research, identifying lessons learned along the way, and calling out the remaining challenges to better understanding MS progression.  We're sharing the details of how and where to register for this week's global webcast being hosted by the International Progressive MS Alliance. And I'm remembering my wife, Jeanne, on the fourth anniversary of her passing. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! Jeanne's Story  :22 This Week: Inside MS advocacy and this year's Public Policy Conference  8:36 Experts publish an update on progressive MS research, identify lessons learned, and call out the  remaining challenges  9:35 The International Progressive MS Alliance hosts a global webcast this Thursday  17:22 MS Society's Vice-President of Advocacy, Steffany Stern, gives us a peek at this year's Public Policy Conference   18:54 Share this episode  31:51 Have you downloaded the free RealTalk MS app?  32:10 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/338 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com National MS Society: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy PAPER: Clinical Trials for Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: Progress, New Lessons Learned, and Remaining Challenges https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(24)00027-9/abstract RealTalk MS Episode 280: How the Proposed Framework for Diagnosing and Treating MS Will Affect You with Dr. Tim Coetzee  https://realtalkms.com/280 RealTalk MS Episode 193: Managing the Emotional Fallout of the Pandemic with Dr. Gayle Lewis https://realtalkms.com/193 WEBCAST: New Treatments for Progressive MS: Recent Advances and Promising Research https://www.msif.org/treatments-webcast/ Join the RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms Download the RealTalk MS App for iOS Devices https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/realtalk-ms/id1436917200 Download the RealTalk MS App for Android Deviceshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.realtalk Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 338 Guest: Steffany Stern Privacy Policy