What to Expect From the 2025 CMSC Annual Meeting: Kathleen Costello, CRNP, MSCN

WATCH TIME: 2 minutes

“It’s really a program not to miss if you are involved in the care of people with MS. This is the event you want to attend for your education and networking needs.”

The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC) has officially opened registration for its highly anticipated Annual Meeting, scheduled for May 28-31, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. This premier event is dedicated to equipping healthcare professionals with the latest advancements in multiple sclerosis (MS) and other central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory conditions. Attendees will gain insights into emerging research, innovative treatment approaches, and practical care strategies to enhance patient outcomes.

Bringing together top MS specialists, researchers, and clinicians, the CMSC Annual Meeting offers a comprehensive program featuring interactive courses and groundbreaking scientific presentations. Participants will have the opportunity to earn continuing education (CE) credits across multiple disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, social work, and rehabilitation. With over 70 exhibitors showcasing the latest advancements in MS care, the event also serves as a valuable networking platform for professionals in neurology, immunology, mental health, and wellness.

To register for the CMSC annual meeting, please visit the registration page.

To find out more about the meeting, Kathleen Costello, CRNP, MSCN, interim chief executive officer at CMSC, sat down in a recent interview with NeurologyLive^® to highlight the importance of the CMSC Annual Meeting as a premier event for healthcare professionals involved in MS care. In the conversation, she spoke about how the meeting provides extensive educational opportunities, including concurrent sessions, poster presentations, and networking avenues. Beyond pharmaceutical treatments, she talked about how the event emphasizes a holistic approach to MS management, covering mental health, rehabilitation, cognitive care, and wellness strategies.

The CE Committee at CMSC has recognized gaps in knowledge across 10 key areas and has enlisted expert faculty to design and lead educational sessions in the following learning tracks:

MS Management (MG)

• Explore care models and team roles for evidence-based MS management.
• Utilize patient-reported outcomes, imaging, and biomarkers for treatment monitoring.

Mental Health (MH)

1. Differentiate between mental health, cognitive, and psychosocial issues in MS.
2. Integrate assessments into treatment plans and ongoing monitoring.
3. Identify resources supporting comprehensive mental health care.

Nursing (RN)

1. Evaluate nursing interventions within different MS care models.
2. Implement evidence-based nursing strategies in team-based patient care.

Professionalism, Ethics, Advocacy (PE)

1. Support patients' rights and ethical decision-making in MS care.
2. Advocate for access to treatment, legal rights, and self-advocacy.
3. Apply professional skills to enhance patient and family support.

Rehabilitation (RH)

1. Integrate rehabilitation into multidisciplinary MS management.
2. Utilize MS-specific screening for individualized rehabilitation strategies.

Research (RS)

1. Assess emerging data on MS treatment strategies and disease management.
2. Review clinical trial design and outcomes to inform clinical practice.

Science of MS (SC)

1. Understand MS diagnostic criteria, phenotypes, and variants.
2. Explore genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors influencing MS.

Pharmacologic & Symptomatic Management (PS)

1. Differentiate between acute and chronic MS symptoms for targeted treatment.
2. Develop pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic strategies to improve quality of life.

Technologic Advances (TC)

1. Examine innovations in diagnostics, rehabilitation, and assistive technology.
2. Integrate technology to enhance patient care and MS research.

Wellness (WE)

• Incorporate wellness principles into MS care and education.
• Adapt long-term wellness strategies to disease progression.

Additionally, on Thursday, May 29, 2025, NeurologyLive and the CMSC are pleased to host the 4th Annual Giants of Multiple Sclerosis® Awards Ceremony, taking place at the 2025 CMSC Annual Meeting, where we'll recognize and honor the difference makers in MS patient care. It will take place on May 29 from 7:45 pm - 10:00 pm at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, AZ, where hors d'oeuvres & cocktails will be served. This event is only available to honorees, their guests, and attendees of the 2025 CMSC Annual Meeting.

Those who wish to attend the award ceremony, please RSVP here.