Skip to main content

Faculty Member Honored by MS Society


Gabe Byars, assistant professor in Salt Lake Community College’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, has been chosen to receive the “Above and Beyond” award by the Utah-Southern Idaho chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.





Byars’ early connection to MS arose from clinical experiences as an occupational therapist, having very limited education about MS. “When I encountered individuals with MS clinically, I felt overwhelmed,” Byars said. “MS can be a clinically challenging condition. The impacts of MS are extremely varied. Some individuals are most impacted by fatigue or muscle weakness. Others have cognitive impairments or pain or spasticity. And MS is a degenerative disease. This means that over time people anticipate a decline. What could I do to help this wonderful person? Many clinicians are stymied by this dilemma, but I took it as a challenge.”

He learned how rehabilitation interventions could help improve function and quality of life for people with MS and how helping those patients manage symptoms while remaining independent paid huge dividends. “They embraced their lives and did what was meaningful to them – childcare, work, golf, walking the dog,” he said. “These simple tasks helped them continue to improve, becoming healthier and happier. This is what occupational therapy is all about.”





Salt Lake Community College, Byars noted, offers a wonderful service to the community through the occupational and physical therapy pro bono clinics. These clinics offer free therapy services to individuals who are uninsured, underinsured, or underserved at SLCC’s Jordan Campus and throughout Utah through the College’s Telehealth clinic. “Unfortunately, too many individuals with MS are uninsured or underinsured, particularly for physical and occupational therapy,” Byars said. “I have worked with the MS Society to have the SLCC pro bono therapy clinics included as Partners In Care, providing individuals with MS an opportunity to receive necessary rehabilitation services. I have also presented at local and national conferences for professionals and the general public. My role as an educator includes my work at SLCC educating our students. The SLCC occupational therapy assistant students receive training with current knowledge and best practices and have the opportunity to work with individuals with MS. Our students will become the future leaders in MS care.”

Byars has been involved with the MS Society for the past 3 years. He has worked with the MS Society and the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers to become an expert in MS care. Byars obtained an advanced certification as a Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Specialist (MSCS) and served on the Healthcare Advisory Committee (HAC) of the Utah-Southern Idaho chapter, helping to improve access to quality care for individuals with MS and ensure that all individuals with MS have access to necessary medications, treatments and qualified professionals through advocacy, networking and education. He has worked with the MS Society to provide educational programs for professionals and the general public.

“I am honored to receive the Above and Beyond award from the MS Society, recognizing my service to the MS community,” Byars said. “However, as pleased as I am to receive this award, it also highlights the needs still in the community. The SLCC pro bono clinic can only treat a handful of individuals with MS, leaving thousands of individuals in need still lacking services. I hope this award inspires others to serve individuals with MS. Together we can much better meet their needs and promote quality of life.”

Popular posts from this blog

SLCC's Undergraduate Annual Research Conference Registration Deadline

Salt Lake Community College’s annual Undergraduate Projects, Performances, Presentations, and Research Conference (UP3RC) is set to take place on April 2, at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus, offering students a chance to showcase their academic achievements, fostering a culture of intellectual exchange.  The UP3RC is an annual event designed to celebrate and highlight the academic accomplishments of undergraduate students. It provides a supportive environment for students to share their work, hone their presentations skills, receive constructive feedback, and engage in meaningful discussions with their peers and faculty. All SLCC departments and programs, including faculty and staff, are encouraged to support and visit the day of the event. Students with their poster from last year's UPRC event “The goal of this event is to make sure every school and student is given the opportunity to participate,” says Dr. Kamal Bewar, interim director of the STEM Learning Center, who is chairin

SLCC Business School is Utah’s First to be Named Exclusively After a Woman

Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) proudly announces a partnership with the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation to modernize its Business Building and transform its School of Business. The improvements are made possible through a generous $10 million gift from the Miller Family Foundation and Gail Miller, the largest-ever single cash donation received by the college.  SLCC is renaming its Business Building the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Business Building in honor of the Miller family’s legacy and contributions to the community. The business school will be named the Gail Miller School of Business in recognition of the strong business acumen Gail Miller displays as a community leader and as the owner and immediate past chair of the Larry H. Miller Company. This name change will make SLCC home to the only business school in Utah and one of only a few in the country to be named exclusively after a woman.  “We are deeply humbled by the generosity of Gail and the Miller fam

You’re Invited to A Party! Open House Kicks off New Herriman Campus

  Complimentary food truck fare, live music, and family activities spotlight new campus.   There’s something for everyone at the upcoming Herriman Campus Community Open House on Friday, August 4 (3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.). See schedule below.   The public is invited to celebrate the opening of this new campus with festivities that include free local food truck fare, live music, and a Mocktail Mixer, where you can mingle with others, including Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and University of Utah (U of U) faculty.   Families with kids can engage in face painting and a craft station, see the Super Mario Brothers movie, and high-five mascots Brutus, Swoop and Yeti.   This is an opportunity to have some summer fun for all ages and to check out the Juniper building on the new 88-acre SLCC Herriman campus.    At the open house, prospective students and their families can meet SLCC and U of U faculty and staff, take a tour the building, or even check out the Application & Transfer Lab a