White Plains Hospital’s Multiple Sclerosis Center: Delivering Expert Care and Personalized Support

White Plains Hospital’s Multiple Sclerosis Center offers help—and hope—to patients at every step of their care

Although multiple sclerosis is a widely recognized disease, many people know little about how it affects the body and daily life. In recent years, several celebrities have opened up about their experiences with this chronic autoimmune disease, bringing more awareness to the general public.

Actresses Christina Applegate and Jaime-Lynn Sigler host a podcast in which they discuss their day-to-day struggles with MS, while Selma Blair starred in a documentary which explored her physical and emotional challenges as a result of MS.

Through these and other public advocacy efforts, MS discussions have become more mainstream—but the experts at White Plains Hospital’s Multiple Sclerosis Center have been focused on it for decades.

There is an urgent demand for the high-quality care the Hospital’s program offers. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, more than one million people nationwide have MS, a condition that damages the sheaths which cover the nerve fibers of the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves, causing weakness, balance problems, and other issues.

Common MS Symptoms

It’s easy to shrug off the early signs of MS, since they can come and go. Pay attention to issues like these, and promptly seek medical attention if they occur:
• Weakness
• Muscle stiffness or spasms
• Vision changes
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Difficulties in walking or balancing
• Pain or itchiness
• Sexual dysfunction
• Bladder and bowel problems
• Depression or other emotional changes
• Cognitive changes
• A burning sensation in your torso (or, less frequently, in your head, arms, legs, or feet)

Certain factors can raise the risk of developing MS: Women are four times more likely to have it than men, for instance, and most new cases are diagnosed in people between the ages of 20 and 50. It is also most common among white people with Northern European heritage. The prevalence of MS is rising, although it’s not fully understood why; experts think it may be due to factors including improved testing, increased testing among people who were insufficiently represented in the past, and lengthening lifespans among MS patients.

Dr. Ute Traugott, FAAN, director of White Plains Hospital’s Multiple Sclerosis Center, has proudly watched the program grow since its founding in 2004. “We now have three experts—myself and neurologists Dr. Samantha Epstein and associate director of multiple sclerosis Dr. Mark Tullman—who are certified by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,” Dr. Traugott says. “It means we are qualified to provide the best of care to our patients. We also have an MS-certified nurse who advises, supports, and educates patients; as well as our social worker.”, FAAN, director of White Plains Hospital’s Multiple Sclerosis Center, has proudly watched the program grow since its founding in 2004. “We now have three experts—myself and neurologists Dr. Samantha Epstein and associate director of multiple sclerosis Dr. Mark Tullman—who are certified by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,” Dr. Traugott says. “It means we are qualified to provide the best of care to our patients. We also have an MS-certified nurse who advises, supports, and educates patients; as well as our social worker.”

Pictured from left: Dr. Mark Tullman, Dr. Ute Traugott, and Dr. Samantha Epstein of the White Plains Hospital Multiple Sclerosis Center.
The Center is located at White Plains Hospital Physician Associates of West Harrison, but MS specialists also see patients at WPHPA’s locations in Armonk (Dr. Epstein) and Rye Brook (Dr. Claudiu Diaconu). “Treatment for MS has to be individualized to each patient,” adds Dr. Traugott, who has conducted pioneering MS research and treated the disorder for decades. It’s no surprise that patients come from as far away as Pennsylvania to seek out the MS program’s expertise.

When evaluating patients, physicians assess how far the disease has progressed and where someone may be in their MS journey. This is based upon the neurological evaluation and MRI studies of the brain and spinal cord using the most advanced techniques. Some patients seek care after noticing early, intermittent symptoms that may have come and gone, while others don’t pursue treatment until symptoms become more persistent or disruptive. (See sidebar, Common MS Symptoms.) “Early diagnosis and treatment can help reduce damage to the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves caused by inflammation, which improves the chances of maintaining long-term function,” explains Dr. Epstein.

Treatments at the MS Center may include pills, self-injected medications, or those delivered by infusion (available at White Plains Hospital’s Center for Advanced Medicine & Surgery and other locations). “We weigh the side effects and risks for each,” Dr. Traugott says. For example, while all medications work by modifying the immune system to reduce inflammation, some more potent treatments can weaken the immune system and require close monitoring. If someone else requires physical therapy, it’s available at WPHPA of West Harrison—just across the hallway from the MS Center—and at multiple locations through Burke Rehabilitation, including Armonk.

A diagnosis of MS understandably can be upsetting, which is why the Center also offers psychological support. “We have a social worker, Tammy Schoenfarber, here once a week, and she’s very good at helping patients navigate challenges,” Dr. Traugott says. “Our commitment is to provide coordinated, multidisciplinary and individualized care,” adds Dr. Tullman.

Dr. Traugott is eager to dispel the myth that all MS patients eventually become wheelchair-bound and incapacitated—in fact, thanks to advances in treatment, many can live full, active lives. “I tell newly diagnosed patients that they have a good chance to work until retirement age and have families,” Dr. Traugott says. “Their life may not go straight ahead the way they have planned it. But whose life ever does?”

Learn more about Multiple Sclerosis Services.

This story first appeared in Health Matters, a White Plains Hospital publication.