Hackensack, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/12/2015 -- The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) and The France Foundation have designed a new educational program covering the gender specific issues that affect women with MS. "Strategies to Improve the Care of MS in Women," will provide knowledge and expertise to clinicians in evaluating and managing females with MS.

Kicking off the program is a "live" web-based panel discussion, "Special Considerations for the Overall Health Care Management of the Female Patient with MS," on Wednesday, March 18, 2015 at 12:00 p.m. ET.

This interactive multispecialty clinical practice discussion will cover the challenges, best practices, and special considerations specifically related to women with MS. Topics that will be discussed include family planning, managing pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause as well as guidance on an OB/GYN approach to MS patients.

"Multiple Sclerosis is the leading cause of neurological disability in young adults worldwide, and affects women more than 3 times as often as men. We are thrilled to have this opportunity to share information on gender issues in MS, and hope this is just the beginning of an important dialogue between health care providers and their patients, about the many ways MS intersects with women's lives across their reproductive life span," said panelist Jacqueline Bernard, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Chicago Medical Center.

The faculty for the live discussion on "Special Considerations for the Overall Health Care Management of the Female Patient with MS" represents a wide spectrum of expertise. Dr. Bernard is joined by Patricia K. Coyle, MD, Professor of Neurology and Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs Director, MS Comprehensive Care Center, Stony Brook University, and Men-Jean Lee, MD, Associate Professor, Beth Israel Medical Center, Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

The live panel discussion will include a Q&A session offering participants an opportunity to ask specific questions about managing MS in women. To register for the March 18th live CME/CNE accredited activity, go to: http://www.cmeAIMS.org/panel

"Strategies to Improve the Care of MS in Women," also includes five short video-based webinars led by MS experts. The first informative roundtable discussion focuses on "Diagnosis and Management of Sexual Dysfunction," presented by Susan Rubin, MD, NorthShore University HealthSystem, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, and again Dr. Jacqueline Bernard of the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Dr. Rubin and Dr. Bernard will also be featured in upcoming short videos on "Pregnancy and the MS Patient: Pre-pregnancy through Post-Partum," and "Key Considerations for the MS Patient and Breastfeeding."

Dr. Bernard and Dr. Coyle will present "Menarche, Menstruation, Menopause, and MS," and the fifth video presentation will be on "Contraceptive Techniques," with Dr. Rubin and Joy A. Derwenskus, DO, Associate Professor in Neurology--Ken and Ruth Davee Department, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

To launch the video for "Diagnosis and Management of Sexual Dysfunction," go to: http://www.cmeaims.org/women-video1-cme.php.

More information on the "Strategies to Improve the Care of MS in Women," can be found at: http://www.cmeaims.org/ms-in-women.php.

About CMSC
CMSC, the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, is the leading educational, training, and networking organization for MS healthcare professionals and researchers. The CMSC mission is to promote quality MS care through educational programming and accreditation including live and online events, research grants, technical journals and papers, and targeted advocacy efforts. The CMSC member network includes more than 7,000 international healthcare clinicians and scientists committed to MS care as well as more than 60 Veterans Administration MS Programs and 225 MS Centers in the US, Canada, and Europe. The 2015 CMSC Annual Meeting will take place May 27-30, in Indianapolis, Indiana. For more information go to http://www.mscare.org

About THE FRANCE FOUNDATION
The France Foundation is accredited with commendation by the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education) to provide continuing education credit for physicians, and accredited by the ACPE (Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education) to provide continuing education credit for pharmacists. Since inception in 1999, The France Foundation has been on the forefront of the planning, development, and implementation of multidisciplinary accredited education. TFF specializes in curriculum-based education aimed at improving learners' performance as health care providers.