Parkinson’s Foundation Receives $450,000 Gift from Terranova to Expand Centers of Excellence Network

Stephen Bittel, founder and chairman of Terranova, has donated $450,000 to the Miami-based Parkinson’s Foundation to fund the expansion of its Centers of Excellence network.

Bittel also pledged to use his personal and professional networks to raise an additional $1 million for ongoing fellowship grants to encourage young scientists, clinicians and students to study Parkinson’s disease.

“We are extremely grateful for Stephen’s generous donation and his ongoing support of our mission,” John L. Lehr, the foundation’s CEO, said in a press release. “His contributions will have a significant impact on our community, as we continue to lead the charge in making life better for people with Parkinson’s and working toward a cure.”

The Centers of Excellence network links 42 medical centers across the United States and overseas, including locations in Australia, Bahamas, Canada, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Together, they serve more than 100,000 Parkinson’s patients annually. Bittel’s donation will allow the foundation to set the standard of care for Parkinson’s disease and continue developing new treatments and care models.

“As part of my ongoing commitment to giving back and supporting our community, I am grateful for the opportunity to support the Parkinson’s Foundation, an organization that is truly making an impact and working hard to advance a greater good,” Bittel said.

Terranova is one of South Florida’s leading commercial real-estate firms. Over the years, Terranova has helped the Parkinson’s Foundation in many ways, including serving as presenting sponsor of Moving (between 2014 and 2016) and earning the distinction of Moving Day Miami’s Top Corporate Team (between 2014 and 2017).

Central to the Centers of Excellence network is the Parkinson’s Outcomes Project, the largest clinical study of Parkinson’s to date, with more than 10,000 participants in five countries. This study evaluates factors such as most effective Parkinson’s treatments, different therapy benefits, the best candidates for each treatment and caregiver impacts.