b'MS Focus ActivitiesHHeeaalltthhccaarreeAAssssiissttaanncceePPrrooggrraammPPrrooggrraammccoovveerrssddooccttoorrssvviissiitt,,f olllloowwuupp,,aannddlliimmiitteeddddeennttaallccaarreefoBy Kimani HendricksFollowing countless inquiries from clients, MS Focus developed its Healthcare Assistance Grant program. It enables uninsured persons with multiple sclerosis to continue receiving proper care, covering the costs of one doctor visit and follow-up appointment. In addition to community members, healthcare providers inuenced MS Focus decision to initiate this service.At the time, specialists often contacted us, asking if there was anything we could do so some of their patients remained on treatment, said Derrick Lee, associate director of Quality of Life Programs and Services. Not only that, but medical professionals have been the middle man between the person with the disease and us, sometimes seeing them for free or arranging a reasonable price for the organization. No matter what, it is a collaborative effort.Although the Foundation solely pays for office visits, our Programs and Services Department acquires applications from those who need more than our program offers. In those instances, we refer them to other organizations with which we are in regular contact, said Vicki Knobel, Cyclical Programs coordinator for MS Focus. For example, if someone needs an MRI, we direct them to the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, which has a grant specic to helping people with MS get one.This program can also cover limited dental assistance, such as deep cleanings, root canals, crowns, and dentures. Present and futu reDiane of Magnolia, Texas, shudders to think of the difference in outcomes had she not discovered MS Focus Healthcare Assistance Grant program. My son, Thomas, is turning 29 years old this year, and although he is employed, his salary is meager, and he cannot afford health insurance, she said. In contacting the Foundation, the coordinators were easy to talk to, understanding, and more than willing to help my son pay for his doctors visit and follow-up. It is an experience for which I am grateful and appreciative because, without them, Thomas would not have received the type of care he required.More information about our Healthcare Assistance Grant program is available at msfocus.org under the Get Help tab and Grants and Programs options. Apply online or by mail. Send your physical application to MS Focus: the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation at 6520 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. The primary contact is Vicki Knobel, Cyclical Programs coordinator, at vicki@msfocus.org. For more information, call 888-673-6287.msfocusmagazine.org 28'