Parkinson’s Foundation Adds Two New Centers of Excellence to Global Network

Parkinson’s disease patients now have two additional Centers of Excellence at their service: the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York and the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

The global network is run by the Parkinson’s Foundation, which supports initiatives of different types to help improve the quality of life for Parkinson’s disease patients and the discovery of new treatments.

“At Parkinson’s Foundation, we are proud that our longtime investment in NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and Rush has played a pivotal role in all significant Parkinson’s research advances,” John L. Lehr, the foundation’s CEO, said in a press release. “This newest designation recognizes that both institutions are successfully translating those research advancements into improvements in patient care – exactly what our community so urgently needs.”

The two new centers each offer unique additions to the network. NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia brings a proven history in front-line translational research, applying knowlege from both basic science discoveries and clinical research, while Rush University offers a track of innovative clinical research.

“This designation is an enormous honor and recognition of the vital program that we have developed to integrate our three-part mission of research, education, and patient care excellence,” said Christopher Goetz, MD, professor of neurological sciences and pharmacology and director of the Rush University Medical Center Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Program.

“With this new designation, the faculty and staff will direct our efforts continually to enhance our services and work in partnership with our patients and families to meet these three missions,” he said.

Peter Schmidt, PhD, the foundation’s chief mission offer and senior vice president of research and professional programs, said both new Centers of Excellence “have a long history of research and training that paved the way for the scientific and clinical networks of movement disorders centers.”

The foundation’s Center of Excellence designation rewards clinical research excellence. Every center must be recertified every five years to maintain its high standards of care. The review process includes an assessment of all achievements as well as an on-site peer evaluation.

The Parkinson’s Foundation brings all Centers of Excellence together once a year to discuss the latest updates on care activities and research programs. This year the meeting will be held May 4-6 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The leadership conference is titled “Impacting Care for the Patients of Today and Tomorrow.”

The Parkinson’s Foundation is a recent merger of the former National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) and the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF), which was completed in August 2016.