REASON TO GIVE

The Victor Rivera Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created in the state of Texas to provide MS care to those in need of access to neurologic and neuro-eye services. The funding sources for the Foundation include private, corporate, civic clubs, philanthropic foundations and memorial donations.

The Victor Rivera Foundation is seeking support to:

• Provide under-resourced people of all ethnicities living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) access to neurologic and neuro-eye services. This includes individuals who are under insured, may have a high deductible or lack health care benefits.

• Ensure patients with MS and similar diseases receive current and proven neurologic and neuro-eye protocols with a special focus in mentoring bilingual MS healthcare professionals.

• To promote mentoring of bilingual MS healthcare professionals through support for professionals working at the Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Care Center of Excellence.

While the foundation will support people of all ethnicities, it is anticipated that many people served by the Victor Rivera Foundation will be under-resourced bilingual or Spanish speaking people with MS or suspected to have MS or in need of neuro-eye services. This is an underserved population.

Research published by the American Academy of Neurology has shown that many minority MS patients in the United States with complex chronic disease and physical disabilities have difficulty accessing and utilizing specialty care because of issues such as lack of or limited insurance, low income and language barriers.

The Victor Rivera Foundation will ensure needed Multiple Sclerosis medical care for indigent bilingual people and others in need and will provide under-resourced people living with MS access to neurologic and neuro-eye services. This will be done by providing:

• Negotiated reimbursement amounts to medical professionals who can demonstrate they have provided unreimbursed medical care for people living with MS or similar diseases and where it is documented that patients are unable to pay.

• Support, underwrite, mentor and train bilingual MS healthcare professionals.

These activities will be overseen by the board of directors of the Victor Rivera Foundation. The services will be conducted at the Victor Rivera MS Neuro-Eye Center of Excellence located in Houston, Texas and at other locations as the board may approve.

More information is available upon request.