Lutz-area residents living with multiple sclerosis will soon have a specialized care center minutes from home instead of driving to Tampa or Clearwater.
The MS & Neuromuscular Center of Excellence plans to open its second location on Thursday, August 20, at 18956 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz. The facility will combine neurological evaluations, infusion therapies, disease management, and clinical trial enrollment under one roof.
Dr. Mark Cascione, who will lead the Lutz center, has treated MS patients in the Tampa Bay area since joining Tampa Neurology Associates in 1996. He opened the South Tampa MS Center in 2001 and has served as a principal or sub-investigator on more than 300 clinical trials in MS and other neurological conditions. Tampa Magazine named him a Top Doctor from 2017 to 2020.
"For someone living with MS, every delay, referral, or disconnected appointment adds another layer of stress to an already difficult diagnosis," Cascione said, according to The Laker/Lutz News. "Our goal with this new center is to remove as much of that burden as possible by bringing specialized care together in one place."
The center is a partner practice of Nira Medical, which describes itself as the nation's largest independent neurology platform, serving more than 15,000 patients nationwide. Dr. Mike Edgeworth, Nira Medical's chief medical officer, said the Lutz expansion brings the latest therapies and specialized neurological expertise closer to the communities the network serves.
The center's original Clearwater clinic, founded in 2015 by Dr. Jean-Raphaël Schneider and his mother, Terry Schneider, has served patients with MS and neuromuscular conditions for more than a decade.
The Lutz location marks the practice's first expansion into northern Hillsborough County.
Nearly one million Americans live with MS, a chronic autoimmune disease that disrupts communication between the brain and body. Symptoms range from fatigue and muscle weakness to vision changes and cognitive impairment. The center is currently enrolling participants for clinical trials in MS and myasthenia gravis. It accepts all major insurance plans.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will mark the August 20 opening. A community patient education event is planned for later in 2026, though no date has been announced. Residents can register for the ribbon-cutting through a link on the center's website at msandneuro.com.
How to connect: MS & Neuromuscular Center of Excellence, 18956 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Lutz, FL 33548. Phone: 813-855-2900.
Upcoming community events:
- Thursday, August 20 — MS & Neuromuscular Center of Excellence ribbon-cutting, 18956 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Lutz. Register at msandneuro.com.
- Later in 2026 — Community patient education event at the Lutz center (date to be announced).
