A Mother’s Influence: Treating MS is Personal for Dr. Jameson Holloman

Neurologist at The MS Center for Innovations in Care relates to patients in special way

Neurologist at The MS Center for Innovations in Care relates to patients in special way

Jameson Holloman, MD, a BJC Medical Group neurologist at Missouri Baptist Medical Center, had a different challenge.

When he was in fourth grade, his mother, Karen, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Karen’s progressive form of MS meant gradually worsening symptoms with limited treatment options. Daily injections were painful, had harsh side effects, and were not always effective at preventing new attacks, called relapses. Some medication was so limited, she had to enter a lottery system to receive it.

Running marathons and skiing—two of her passions—were interrupted. She used a wheelchair for a decade.

But Karen’s resiliency and positivity made her son sure of one thing from an early age: He would dedicate his career to helping people with MS.

“I thought it was incredibly meaningful to work with patients like her, both knowing the unmet need for better treatments and diagnoses, and the difference you can make as a clinician when you are able to work with people, get to know them, and provide therapy,” says Dr. Holloman, who joined The MS Center for Innovations in Care at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in August 2024. “This work can be incredibly transformative, not only to the patient, but to you as the person working with them, because you see the benefits daily.”

Emphasis on optimism

After graduating from Georgetown University School of Medicine and completing a residency at WashU Medicine, Dr. Holloman completed a three-year research fellowship at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. While inspired by the quest to find a cure for MS, he felt something was missing. Returning to St. Louis to start practicing at The MS Center for Innovations in Care confirmed he was right.

“I feel a charge from working with patients,” Dr. Holloman says. “I imagine some of that is related to my mom.”

Karen passed away in December 2023, but Dr. Holloman says his mom’s optimistic outlook never wavered. It’s a perspective he inherited, and it’s obvious when he explains how advancements in treating MS have made living with the disease more manageable for many.

“It’s incredibly transformed in a 30-year time frame,” Dr. Holloman says.

He’s able to tell most of his patients that modern medicine can help an MS diagnosis fade to the background of their lives. Treatments currently offered at The MS Center for Innovations in Care have proven effective at stopping new disease activity in addition to treating symptoms. Medicine delivered through IV infusions can eliminate the need for daily injections.

“This concept of MS being a severe diagnosis that is always going to require the use of a wheelchair is pretty outdated, thankfully,” Dr. Holloman says. “I always try to give people a lot more hope.”

Making a difference

Dr. Holloman can also offer comprehensive care. Patients at The MS Center for Innovations in Care have access to provider visits, infusion services, medical scans, physical and occupational therapy, and more—all in one welcoming location on MoBap’s main campus.

A neural sleeve, a bionic garment designed to improve walking and mobility, is just one example of a physical therapy advancement at MoBap that is helping patients with MS. The sleeve, which patients wear on the leg, uses Functional Electrical Stimulation to activate muscles while providing support and resistance. The device also analyzes movement in real time, adapting its stimulation to best help its user while simultaneously relaying useful feedback to the therapy team.

“The functional stimulation activates the muscle immediately, so patients notice it while walking with the device,” says Heather Cochrun, DPT, a physical therapist at MoBap. “Some patients still feel the benefits several hours after their treatment. We can use the device with stair training, treadmill training, cycling, and with leg presses and other exercises. Patients like it because it’s sleek and does not look like a medical device.”

MoBap was the first hospital in the St. Louis area to offer the new technology to patients who are determined to walk more confidently and efficiently.

“From a patient perspective, MoBap is a phenomenal place to get care,” Dr. Holloman says. “Any patient, regardless of socioeconomic background, access to care, or severity of illness, can see this as a place where they can come and get incredible, high-quality care, and have a team of advocates who can make all of those challenges a lot easier.”

“Working in that kind of setting makes me incredibly happy, because I know the kind of difference that it would have made for my mom when she was initially diagnosed,” he continues. “She would be incredibly excited about everything that’s going on at The Center and the things we are able to do here.”

Dr. Holloman says his mom never encouraged him to pursue medicine. Instead, she told him to make sure he was chasing his own passion instead of dedicating one to her.

He can safely say he’s doing both.

Learn more about our MS providers, or to make an appointment with The MS Center for Innovations in Care, call 314-996-7960