HELP 4 HD with Lisa Kjer

Our special guest tonight is the amazing Lisa Kjer. She is a Master of Social Work for the UC Davis HDSA Center of Excellence in Sacramento, CA and works with 200+ families who come to see the center's dedicated neurologist. Lisa was hooked on social work at a very young age and has devoted her life to the helping professions. In 2001, HDSA named UC Davis a center of excellence, recognizing its expertise in clinical care for Huntington's disease patients. Directed by associate physician Vicki Wheelock and nurse practitioner Teresa Tempkin, the multidisciplinary team also consists of full-time social worker (Lisa Kjer), psychiatrist, physical therapist and genetics counselor. The clinic offers predictive testing, diagnosis and management of symptomatic Huntington's disease, nursing home outreach and community outreach. Patients and families can also participate in clinical trials sponsored by the Huntington Study Group. We will be asking Lisa some very pertinent questions about what to do if we suspect we are affected by HD, are there confidential testing options and what are some of the mental and physical aspects of HD to watch out for? She will explain how the HDSA center of excellence can help our families with information and how she can link us to community resources. She encourages a wonderful support system for all of our HD families. Thank you Lisa for your exemplary work!