Dress The Heroes

6 MICHAEL MARON PRESIDENT & CEO HOLY NAME MEDICAL CENTER Dear Friends, When we consider the events of the last eight months, we are reminded of the value of life, the importance of part- nerships, and how a single entity can have an impact that is felt around the globe. COVID-19 altered how we all live, work and communi- cate. Dress the Heroes is evidence of that profound change. During the last eight difficult months, Holy Name’s Alfiero & Lucia Palestroni Foundation Multiple Sclerosis Center never faltered in its mission to set the highest standard for MS care -- continuing to treat patients, never closing our infusion center, and persisting in its purpose to achieve the highest quality of life for nearly 2,000 patients who rely on the cen- ter’s services. Dress the Heroes is a new take on our Holy Name Foundation’s Fashion Show fundraiser for our MS Center. It is a celebration of life, achievement and hope, and marks the MS Center’s 35th anniversary. In the pages of this magazine, we honor the healthcare staff, patients and supporters who never give up, who never stop thinking, who keep on doing. It has been my privilege to work with Dr. Mary Ann Picone, the eminent specialist in MS, beloved by her patients and the leader of our Alfiero & Lucia Palestroni Foundation MS Center. Dr. Picone and her team offer a huge knowledge base, extensive clinical experience, and dedication that is so beyond what patients might experience elsewhere, translat- ing to the highest quality, most comprehensive MS care in our region. I want to thank Selma Blair, our Honorary Ambassador for MS, who brings humanity to this disease as she shares her own struggles and triumphs, the shops at Westfield Gar- den State Plaza, our loyal and generous donors and spon- sors, and other friends and constituents who have helped us build our MS Center with their unique gifts. Three decades ago, there were no treatments available for MS – only symptom care. People with MS often needed frequent hospitalizations, suffering certain physical decline with little hope of a normal life. But in 1985, Holy Name’s MS Center opened, and we began striving for something better. We now have oral, injectable and infusion medications, to which Holy Name’s patients had access through clinical trials years before they came to market. Our research studies con- tinue as we strive toward our ultimate goal of halting disease progression and reversing damage. But pharmaceuticals and our leading-edge clinical trials aren’t the whole story. The care Dr. Picone’s team provides is highly comprehensive, encompassing same-day diagnostic testing, a wide range of rehabilitative therapies, and support – all administered with Holy Name’s This Place is Different compassionate approach that respects the uniqueness of every individual. Life’s challenges take many shapes. So do our heroes. The poet Maya Angelou considered a hero to be “any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” I hope that you will take some time to meet a few of our healthcare heroes on the pages of this publication and know that, you too, can be a hero for MS. With gratitude, NOTES FROM