ANNOUNCING THE 2022 RECIPIENTS OF OUR HEALTHY PARKINSON’S COMMUNITIES™ GRANTS

HPC 2022

The Davis Phinney Foundation is privileged to announce the 2022 recipients of our Healthy Parkinson’s Communities™ grants. As an integral part of the Healthy Parkinson’s Communities initiative, the grants program aims to help us realize our mission to help people with Parkinson’s live well today. We do this by: 

  • Funding programs and initiatives unique to the places and people they are designed to support 
  • Eliminating barriers to care 
  • Expanding the possibility for all people to live well with Parkinson’s    

In the coming months, we’ll follow the work of these four organizations closely. In the meantime, please join us in congratulating them and wishing them well as they continue their important work.  

DELAWARE VALLEY ENDEAVOR FOR RACIAL SOLIDARITY IN PD (DIVERSITY PD) – Philadelphia, PA.  

This initiative received funding from the Healthy Parkinson’s Communities grant program in 2021, and because of their notable successes and progress, they were awarded continued funding for another year. As described by Wendy Lewis of The Parkinson Council:  

“Our program is the first and only collaboration in the region to harness the reach, expertise, and diversity of voices in providing Parkinson’s education and resources for traditionally under-resourced communities. The ultimate purpose of this project is to show how collaborative efforts from across sectors can work to overcome access and barriers to care and to implement, and in some cases, strengthen, a multidisciplinary care model in patients from traditionally under-resourced communities. We consider these multi-year efforts. 

By working collaboratively with grassroots community-based organizations currently delivering vital services to the impacted community, we use multi-pronged approaches to build trusting relationships as a foundational step to providing access to high-quality care. We are working with community partners from predominately African American communities to provide education and resources to identify, manage, and thrive with Parkinson’s. 

Our impact is reaching traditionally under-resourced communities “where they are” by developing culturally relevant education and resources that honor their experiences. Because communities of color view institutions of power, we will move intentionally to build trust garnered from the wealth of knowledge that currently exists with “front-line” community health workers, physician “champions,” support group facilitators, and exercise specialists.”

Project Team
  • Wendy R. Lewis – Administrator
  • Dr. Andrew Siderowf – Co-Admin/Collaborator
  • Dr. Anh-Thu Vu – Collaborator
  • Fredericka Waugh – Outreach/Facilitator
  • Reverend Marshall Mitchell – Collaborator
  • Reverend Leroy Miles – Collaborator
  • Dr. Tsao-Wei Liang – Collaborator
  • Dr. Nabila Dahodwala – Collaborator 
  • Suzanne Reichwein – Collaborator
  • Lance Wilson – Collaborator  
To learn more about this initiative, read this interview with Wendy Lewis or visit The Parkinson Council website here.  

IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF SPANISH SPEAKING PATIENTS WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE: A NEW MODEL OF CARE – Cheshire, CT  

This group is also receiving ongoing funding to continue the work described in their 2021 grant award.   

During year one, Hartford Healthcare did a significant amount of community outreach, program evaluation, and resource development. For year two, they will focus their efforts on community understanding through survey data collection and analysis of outcomes data to understand health disparities and barriers in access to care for the region’s Hispanic community.   

With the outcomes data collected through their thoughtfully designed and in-depth surveys, Hartford Healthcare plans to create programs and resources specific to the region’s Hispanic community and their unique needs for receiving Parkinson’s care.   

Project Team   
  • Duarte Machado, MD, Director of Program Excellence and Recognition, CFMDC  
  • Maria Moro-de Casillas, MD, Director of Program Innovation and Clinician Experience, CFMDC  
  • Joy Antonelle de Marcaida, MD, Medical Director, CFMDC  
  • Ivona Golas, Program Development Manager, CFMDC  
  • Yolanda Li  
  • Research Coordinator – TBD  
To learn more, visit the Hartford Healthcare website.  

CHAMPIONING MOVEMENT: NOBA Dance for Parkinson’s Community Building and Outreach Activities Across Southeast Louisiana – New Orleans, LA  

Now entering its fifth year, NOBA’s Dance for Parkinson’s (DFP) program offers free, ongoing creative movement classes for people with Parkinson’s or other similar mobility challenges, as well as family members, caregivers, and friends.   

Through its CHAMPIONING MOVEMENT project, NOBA aims to provide critical support for under-resourced groups and rural areas in Southeast Louisiana during these pivotal, post-pandemic times. With a focus on recovery and discovery, the project’s overarching goal is to empower people of all backgrounds with Parkinson’s throughout the region to thrive and live well today and into the future. The project will build upon the successes of its Dance for Parkinson’s Program and corresponding cross-sector collaborations in Orleans and Jefferson parishes, expanding its network to identify, connect with, and reach geographically and demographically under-resourced communities and groups.  

Project Team  
  • Millette White Lin-Education Manager  
  • Outreach Coordinator – TBD  
  • Kelly Haber-Dance Instructor  
  • April Dayok-Dance Instructor  
  • Musical Accompanist – TBD  
  • Jenny Hamilton-NOBA Executive Director  
Learn more about the New Orleans Ballet Association here 

MOVEMENT MATTERS – Baton Rouge, LA  

The YMCA of the Capital Area serves a diverse population in the Baton Rouge community. Through their MOVEMENT MATTER initiatives, the YMCA aims to broaden its outreach to those with Parkinson’s in their region through four specific avenues:  

  1. Establish a support group for those living with Parkinson’s and their families/caregivers.  
  2. Broaden awareness, education, and access. The YMCA of the Capital Area will continue to work with its local hospital and medical partners and the Parkinson’s Community Action Committee to offer ongoing access through workshops and educational seminars to include information on medical access, nutrition for Parkinson’s, and seminars on the importance of movement.  
  3. Improve care for people with Parkinson’s. Starting in 2022, they will partner with North Oaks Hospital and the FRAN-U internship program (Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University), allowing young healthcare professionals to gain first-hand experience of the impact of Parkinson’s in the community, deepen their understanding of the disease, and hone their best practices for future treatment regarding collaboration in interdisciplinary patient care.  
  4. Establish a Pedaling for Parkinson’s Healthy Lifestyle Program & Provide Facility Access. They will deliver this 60-minute program two to three times per week to support healthy living for people with Parkinson’s.  
Project Team  
  • Sarah Broekhoven, Registered Dietitian  
  • Katherine Whiteley, Member Services and Wellness Director  
  • Kelli Templet, Member Services and Wellness Director  
  • Mischa Pizzolato, Member Services and Wellness Director  
  • Julie Russell, Executive Director of Healthy Lifestyles  
  • Emily Garrett, Marketing, Social Media Manager  
  • Randy LeBlanc, DPF Ambassador   
Learn more about the YMCA of the Capital Area here.  

Want to learn more about our Healthy Parkinson’s Communities™ Program?

We recently developed a website fully dedicated to our Healthy Parkinson’s Communities™. Please check it out here and see how you can get involved in your own community!

Interested in learning more about our Healthy Parkinson's Communities™ (HPC) initiative? Visit our HPC website at healthyparkinsonscommunities.org to learn more about how to get involved in making your community a great place for people living with Parkinson's.

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