Join us for Community Offerings

Book Club

Join us every other month in 2025 for book club meetings with the John A. Schafer, MD Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center. Read/listen to all or a portion of the book and connect with others in the MS community to discuss or just listen in! The meetings will be held virtually via Zoom.

Book Club is free and open to members and non-members of the John A. Schafer, MD Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center.

• Monday, June 2nd, 1-2pm = The Woman in Cabin 10, by Ruth Ware
• Monday, August 4th, 1-2pm = Horse, by Geraldine Brooks
• Monday, October 6th, 1-2pm = The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride
• ***Monday, December 1st, 11a-12p = The Women, by Kristin Hannah

Contact us to be added to the invite list and for details of our next Book Club meeting!

To register, contact: 916.453.7966 or [email protected]

*** Please note the time difference of December’s meeting

 Get Outdoors

Dr. Irina Fedulow Plante is a licensed physical therapist with board certification in neurologic physical therapy. She is the owner of Mountain Neuro Wellness and Physical Therapy Inc. in Truckee, California, where she integrates nature into her therapeutic interventions for individuals with neurologic presentations. Irina is also the founder of Neuro Mama Tribe, a physical therapy and wellness platform supporting and educating women with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) to optimize their quality of life while navigating hormonal changes and preparing for pregnancy and the postpartum stages.

This series will be offered virtually via Zoom.

Monday, November 24, 2025
10:00 – 11:00 am (PST)

• Registration is required and a ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants. This will not be recorded
• Space is limited.
• Please register by November 17, 2025.
• To register: call 916.453.7966 or email [email protected]

Smarter Tools for Better Bladder Health: How Wearables Can Help with MS

Dr. Valerie Block was first licensed as a physical therapist in Barcelona, Spain. She completed her research doctorate (DPTSc) at UCSF/SFSU and has collaborated for over 10 years with the MS Division in Neurology at UCSF. Her innovative research uses cutting-edge wearable technology to study neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis. She addresses gaps in traditional MS assessment by tracking patients' real-life activities over extended periods, providing deeper insights into the disease's fluctuating symptoms. Initially focused on gait analysis through remote monitoring, Dr. Block has expanded her research to bladder dysfunction, which affects over 80% of MS patients yet remains understudied. Her approach aims to revolutionize clinical trials with practical, data-driven insights while enabling personalized treatment based on daily symptom patterns.

Tuesday, November 25, 2025
10:00 – 11:00 am (PST)

• Registration is required and a ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants. This will not be recorded.
• Space is limited.
• Please register by November 18, 2025.
• To register: call 916.453.7966 or email [email protected]

Gait Changes and MS

Patty Bobryk, MHS, PT, MSCS, ATP received her physical therapy degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and her master’s degree in neuro-dysfunction from the University of Florida. She was an integral member of the team that established the Orlando Health MS Comprehensive Care Center in Orlando where she provided rehab services for persons living with MS for over 25 years. Currently, she is part of the neurological rehabilitation team at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs, CO. She has been an MS Certified Specialist (MSCS) since 2004, as well as an Assistive Technology Professional, assisting individuals obtain complex rehab technology. Patty’s service to the MS community includes Co-Chair of the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Therapists, member of the Education Committee of the Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC) and past member of the NMSS Medical Advisory Committee. She received the “ARTY” award for excellence in MS rehabilitation care from the CMSC in 2018, as well as the distinction as a Giant of Multiple Sclerosis in Rehabilitation in 2023.

Wednesday, November 26, 2025
10:00 – 11:00 am (PST)

• Registration is required and a ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants. This will not be recorded.
• Space is limited.
• Please register by November 18, 2025.
• To register: call 916.453.7966 or email [email protected]

Latest Updates in MS Research

The world of MS research is constantly changing. Dr. Sabeen Lulu, Director of the Mercy MS Center, will be joining us to give a review of clinical research and updates in multiple sclerosis treatment. Dr. Lulu completed her Neurology residency program at Wayne State University in Michigan. Dr. Lulu then completed a fellowship in both pediatric and adult-onset MS from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), as well as a Master’s Degree in Clinical Research from UCSF. 

Dr. Lulu joined the Neurology Department, Mercy Medical Group, Sacramento area in 2014. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Lulu also serves as a principal investigator on multiple national and international clinical trials.

Wednesday, December 10, 2025
5:30 – 7:00 pm (PST)

• Registration is required and a ZOOM link will be emailed to registrants. 
• Space is limited.
• Please register by December 3, 2025.
• To register: call 916.453.7966 or email [email protected]

Writing as Healing

Have you ever considered expressive writing as a form of healing? Writing has been proven to have a positive, healing effect, and we are pleased to welcome John Crandall, author, educator, and artist, to facilitate this free writing workshop. Join us virtually to experience a creative, artistic, and confidential form of sharing the written voice.

Writing As Healing is open to members and non-members of the John A. Schafer, MD Multiple Sclerosis Achievement Center.

Every 2nd Monday of the month
1:00 - 3:00 PM (PST)

• Registration is required to receive a ZOOM link.
• To register:  916.453.7966 or [email protected]