Our History

MSQLP was founded in 2000 through the efforts of clinical psychologist Lotte Marcus, PhD, and neurologist Gerard Lehrer, MD, who shared a long interest in MS. They had witnessed neglect, discontinuity of services and suffering in their patients, and determined to find a better way to unify care of clients with MS. They were joined by persons with MS and family members of persons with MS to form the original MSQLP board. Both Dr. Lehrer and Dr. Marcus have since retired from MSQLP but continue to offer advice and support to the organization.

In 2002, MSQLP conducted a needs assessment based on extensive interviews with 85 persons with MS and 25 caregivers to determine the most critical needs of the local MS population. This assessment was funded by several private donors and was conducted and analyzed by Joy Smith, RN, oncology educator at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP). The analysis indicated a great need for a Case Management system that would help clients navigate the medical and social service systems in our tri-county area of California. The report is available as a PDF download.

HouseCalls is our Case Management program. We meet clients in their homes, conduct an assessment and, with their assistance, establish a treatment plan that identifies goals and objectives that, if met, will improve the client's quality of life.

Recent newsletters and the About Us page have numbers showing how our service level has grown, and how much we rely on your continuing support as our programs continue to grow.