The Yale Multiple Sclerosis Center is a multidisciplinary service that evaluates and treats patients with suspected or diagnosed multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a chronic central nervous system disease that causes symptoms ranging from numbness to weakness. Up to 10% of MS patients are diagnosed before the age of 18. The disease has different effects in these younger patients whose brains are still developing. The Yale Multiple Sclerosis Center offers streamlined resources including sophisticated brain imaging, pharmacy, an infusion center, and phlebotomy. A specialized nurse is available to answer questions about disease-modifying therapies. Social work and nutrition consultants are available. In addition, there are opportunities to participate in MS clinical trials, research studies, and regularly scheduled clinical care conferences. Pediatric neurologist, Naila Makhani, MD, MPH, evaluates and treats these younger patients. She has significant experience in MS, receives funding from Race to Erase MS and participates in clinical trials for MS therapies in children. Dr. Makhani sees children under 12 years of age at the Long Wharf Medical Center (1 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven) and children 13 and older at the Yale Multiple Schlerosis Center (6 Devine St. in North Haven)—a 10-minute drive from the main Yale Medical Center campus.

At the Yale Multiple Sclerosis Center, patients may receive all of their care in one easy-to-access location. Our team provides comprehensive care to patients at a state-of-the-art facility in North Haven featuring advanced MRI scanners, a clinical laboratory, and dedicated infusion center. Our expert neurologists collaborate with experienced nurses, therapists, and social workers to care for patients at all stages of disease. In addition to patients with multiple sclerosis, we treat patients with neuromyelitis optica, transverse myelitis, optic neuritis, and other neuroimmune disorders. MS Access is a program designed to expedite the diagnosis and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). For patients with multiple sclerosis, we believe an accurate, timely diagnosis and early treatment are crucial to a patient's overall well-being. We also understand that a potential diagnosis of MS can be overwhelming, and a long wait to see a specialist can cause needless anxiety and frustration. We developed MS Access to address these issues. The physicians at the Yale Multiple Sclerosis Center will expedite initial visits for individuals about whom another doctor (e.g. primary care doctor, general neurologist, or ophthalmologist) is concerned regarding a new diagnosis of MS or optic neuritis. We will work to see these patients urgently, arrange for any necessary diagnostic imaging or lab work, and address treatment options early. To take advantage of this program, referring physicians can call our MS Clinic in North Haven, CT, at 203-287-6100 and let staff know that the referral is for MS Access. Patients who have been recently diagnosed with MS or who suspect that they might have it can ask their physician to refer them to the Yale Multiple Sclerosis Center.

Myositis is an autoimmune disease that involves chronic inflammation of the muscles, and it can affect almost every system in the body. The Yale Myositis Program takes a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to caring for people with this complex condition. Leaders of the Myositis Program hope to establish it as a center of excellence. In addition to treating patients, eventually, the team would like to work with basic researchers and perform clinical trials to understand the pathogenesis of the disease. Another goal is to educate colleagues and primary care physicians about the condition to improve awareness about myositis and hopefully get patients diagnosed earlier in the disease process. The Myositis Program, which opened in October 2022, is one of a few specialized myositis centers in the country, offering a team of dedicated specialists from diverse areas such as neurology, pulmonology, dermatology, pathology, and genetics to provide comprehensive patient care. Myositis is an umbrella term for various conditions (including polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and necrotizing myopathy, among others) that can affect the limbs, skin, and other organs. Complications of the disease can include a debilitating loss of strength, functionality, and mobility; it can be life-threatening when it affects the lungs and heart. Every patient is unique and can have different symptoms, which can change over time. For example, someone can have a skin rash without the muscle component, or they can have muscle weakness and lung inflammation without the skin rash. It can become complicated because patients may not be experiencing all three symptoms simultaneously when they see their doctor, and the treatment typically targets the organ flaring at that particular moment. The good news is that there has been great progress in understanding of the condition, thanks to the development of technologies that allow for early diagnosis and more tailored treatment. The program’s directors are two rheumatologists interested in myositis— assistant professors of clinical medicine Harjinder Chowdhary, MBBS, MD , and Oana Zaha, MD. The idea for a program focusing specifically on myositis came from the chief of Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology Richard Bucala, MD, PhD, Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology) and professor of pathology and epidemiology (microbial diseases); and Vaidehi Chowdhary, MBBS, MD , associate professor of medicine (Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology) and clinical chief, Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology.