Parkinson’s Foundation expands global care network with 10 new US locations
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The Parkinson’s Foundation has announced the expansion of its global care network with the addition of four Centers of Excellence and six Comprehensive Care Centers to increase access to high-quality care throughout the United States.
“The expansion will help the broader [Parkinson’s disease] community, because we have given priority to medical centers that are located in geographic areas that do not currently have a center, serve communities that have limited access to quality care resources, and provide services to bordering cities and states,” Parkinson’s Foundation President and CEO John L. Lehr, told Healio.
According to a foundation release, the number of people living with PD in the U.S. is expected to climb to 1.2 million by 2030. Currently, care for those with PD is highly varied and not widely available, with nearly 40% of patients not receiving care from a clinician with advanced neurological disease training.
The four new Centers of Excellence will be in Las Vegas; Lebanon, New Hampshire; Salt Lake City; and Richmond, Virginia, the release stated. The medical centers are comprised of specialized care teams of neurologists, movement disorder specialists, physical and occupational therapists, mental health professionals and others who are up-to-date on the latest Parkinson’s medications, therapies and research to provide the best care.
The foundation’s Comprehensive Care Centers also “are required to meet rigorous care, professional training, community education and outreach criteria,” Lehr said. The six new centers will be in Grand Rapids, Michigan; Honolulu; New Orleans; Hartford, Connecticut; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Little Rock, Arkansas.
According to the release, both Centers of Excellence and Comprehensive Care Centers must demonstrate and excel in a multidisciplinary team approach. Each center must undergo recertification after 5 years to ensure requisite standards of care.