MS Society opens regional office in Cape

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Gateway Area Chapter has opened a new regional office in Cape Girardeau. The office, which officially opened June 1, serves 11 counties in Illinois and 10 counties in Missouri and offers more programs and services in response to client needs in those areas.

The office is at 1217 N. Kingshighway, Suite 116.

"I'm very excited to be able to help directly serve clients in this area," said Teresa Birk, regional programs manager, who will staff the Cape Girardeau office. "It's a treat for me to give something back to the community that I've lived in my entire life and that has given so much to me and my family."

Birk can be reached at the new office by calling 1-800-FIGHT-MS.

Increased programs in the area include various wellness seminars, ongoing self-help groups, symptom management and newly diagnosed programs. Having a regional office in Cape Girardeau will also serve to facilitate stronger relationships with area neurologists and healthcare providers that can benefit people with MS living in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

"Our projections for this region show that only 73 percent of the estimated 500 people with MS are registered clients of our chapter," said Pat Knoerle-Jordan, Gateway Area Chapter president. "This indicates that we have an unmet need in the area. We are responding to that need in hopes we can better serve those people."

Current programs in the region include ongoing self-help groups in Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff and Carbondale, Ill.; a program for the newly diagnosed in Sikeston; and a Social Security seminar in Cape Girardeau.

National MS Society fundraising events will also be held in the area, including the annual MS Walk, held in Poplar Bluff and Dexter in September and Cape Girardeau in April, and a "Corporate Achievers" program for area business professionals that will be launched later this year.

The National MS Society also has formed a Regional Advisory Committee to help the new regional office better serve the community. The committee will provide input on how to better reach people with MS in the area through the many programs and services. Jim Osborn of Herrin Hospital/ Rehab Institute of Chicago has been named chair of the Regional Advisory Committee. Other committee members are Dr. David Lee; Robin White, area self-help group leader; Melvin Adams of Southeast Missouri University; and Mike Edwards of RM Coco.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disease of the central nervous system. Its unpredictable symptoms can range from fatigue to numbness in the limbs, to more severe conditions such as loss of vision or paralysis -- all of which come and go without warning or pattern.

Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50; however, the physical and emotional effects are life-long.

For more information on MS, the National MS Society or the Gateway Area Chapter, call 1-800-FIGHT MS, or visit online at www.mos.nmss.org.

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Teresa Birk, regional programs coordinator for new MS office

Teresa Birk has the opportunity to give back to the community she has called home her entire life. A lifelong resident of Jackson, Birk heads the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Gateway Area Chapter's new regional office in Cape Girardeau, which opened June 1. The office serves nearly 500 people living with MS in 21 counties throughout Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

As regional programs manager, Birk will coordinate programs such as wellness seminars, ongoing self-help groups, symptom management and newly diagnosed programs. The office will also help to facilitate stronger relationships between health care providers and those living with MS in Southeast Missouri and Illinois.

A 1993 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Birk earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration and is currently pursuing a master of arts degree in organizational management.

After receiving her bachelor's degree, Birk worked with organizations such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association, where she served as program and patient services coordinator, organizing events and raising funds from 1991 to 1994. She also developed strong customer service skills, working with a diversified client base as a sales consultant from 1994 to 1999, and branch manager of her own business, Ad-Tek Enterprises, from 1999 to 2002.