WESTMINSTER, Colo. — The mountains have plenty to offer, but they don't have everything. Lindsay Rice knows this firsthand.
"It was all new to me, being diagnosed with a disease such as [multiple sclerosis]," Rice said. "I live in a small town of Salida, Colorado, and there is care there, good care, but it's nothing like what is available in Denver and other large cities." Rice was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2021.
While she was unsure of how to navigate living with the new disease. Luckily, in that same year, the Rocky Mountain MS Center established its rural engagement program that has community forums and educational opportunities. "In the beginning, I didn't know anything and I didn't know where to turn," Rice said.
"I feel like as soon as I connected with the Rocky Mountain MS Center, it put me at ease." This comfort in connection is exactly why the center created the program. "We wanted to meet that need right where people are at in their communities," said Kerri Cechovic, senior programming director.
Cechovic said the program brings MS specialists to five counties in Colorado: Mesa, Chaffee, Pueblo, Otero and La Plata. This May, the program expanded into Laramie County in Wyoming. "Folks face many challenges, transportation barriers and access to care and support, so when we’re coming into their spaces and offering these direct services in addition to the education we’re providing, folks are so grateful to have that connection," Cechovic said.
Cecho.