ANN ARBOR, MI – Michigan Medicine and University of Michigan Health have received the first state designation as a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence.
The health system is of one of eight in the world to earn the honor in 2023 from the Parkinson Foundation’s Global Care Network, officials said.
Michigan Medicine treats more than 1,000 patients suffering from the progressive neurological disease each year, according to its website. The recognition from the foundation validates that work, officials said.
“This is a recognition of our team-based approach and commitment to comprehensive care for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease, innovative research, quality improvement, community outreach and professional development,” Dr. Kelvin Lin-Yu Chou, a neurologist and co-director of the health system’s Movement Disorders Clinic, said in a statement.
It takes physicians, nurses, assistants, therapists, speech language pathologists, neuropsychologists, social workers and researchers to treat the disease, Chou said.
“We wouldn’t have received this designation without the contributions of everyone,” he said.
The foundation’s Global Care Network has 54 centers of excellence and 10 comprehensive care centers, officials said. The recognition comes from demonstrating “exemplary care and impactful communication education and outreach,” officials said.
“The newly designated Centers join a network that is setting the highest standard of care for people with Parkinson’s in the U.S. and internationally,” John Lehr, president and CEO of the Parkinson’s Foundation, said in a statement.
The university’s Udall Centers of Excellence in Parkinson’s Disease Research, awarded by the National Institutes of Health, focuses on developing treatments for gait and balance problems associated with the disease, officials said.
“We’re always seeking to improve and expand our offerings,” Laura Zeitlin, future center coordinator and a clinical social worker, said in a statement, “and we’re looking forward to increasing our collaboration with the Parkinson’s Foundation.”
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