Announcing the 2021 recipients of our Healthy Parkinson’s Communities™ grants

Family photo of Hispanic family outdoors

The Davis Phinney Foundation is delighted to announce the 2021 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 more fully realize our mission to help people with Parkinson’s live well today by funding programs and initiatives that are unique to the places and people they are designed to support, eliminating barriers, and expanding the possibility for all people to live well with Parkinson’s.  

Next month, we’ll take a closer look at each of these four organizations. 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)

Led by The Parkinson Council, the largest nonprofit organization for Parkinson’s advocacy in Philadelphia, this project centers around relationship-building with two key community partners, who along with The Parkinson Council and many additional stakeholders will create a foundation for reaching and providing high-quality care to people with Parkinson’s who come from traditionally underserved communities.  

The program’s short-term goals are to reach these traditionally underserved communities “where they are by developing culturally relevant education and resources that honor their experiences. Because of how 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,” the grant proposal says. In the longer term, the program aims to have sustainable and trusting relationships between the African American community, Parkinson’s specialists, and stakeholders by providing education, services, and access to high-quality Parkinson’s care, including exercise, rehab, and mental health support. 

Read more about this project here.

Rural Outreach

This project, led by the Parkinson Association of Northern California (PANC), seeks to address barriers to quality medical care and educational resources for underserved Parkinson’s communities in northern California. PANC will collaborate with local doctors, community resource centers, local leaders, and the California Parkinson’s Disease Registry to make connections and build relationships within these communities. Goals include making sure local doctors provide educational materials in both English and Spanish to people with Parkinson’s; building support groups (both in person and virtually) that will support people with Parkinson’s, their families, and their care partners in their understanding of Parkinson’s; and understanding exactly where the populations of people of Parkinson’s are located within the region.  

PANC’s primary goal is to expand awareness and outreach to agricultural areas outside of the Sacramento region where, as a result of exposure to pesticides and other toxic materials, Parkinson’s is most prevalent,” the grant proposal says. “Many of these agricultural areas are in rural areas throughout the state, and many of these areas do not have the technology that is needed for communication with most individuals. We hope that over time we will truly reach all of Northern California.”  

Read more about this project here.

Improving the Health of Spanish Speaking Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A New Model of Care

Undertaken by the Chase Family Movement Disorders Center (CFMDC), part of the Ayer Neuroscience Institute of Hartford HealthCare (HHC), this initiative centers around quality care for Hispanic communities in Connecticut. Goals include acquiring an accurate understanding of health disparities in the Hispanic patient population (with the goal of reducing them); improving access to subspecialized clinical care and resources, including opportunities for wellness programs and exercise; improving people with Parkinson’s health literacy about the condition; and establishing connections with local community programs and groups that serve this population. 

The scope of this project extends across much of Connecticut in terms of direct patient services but should also create resources that could be used nationally,” the proposal says. “In terms of direct patient care, we hope to provide services to those patients who have not had access to a subspecialty clinic and to better understand their specific challenges. We will also provide our Spanish-speaking patients with targeted, culturally appropriate educational material to help them learn how to manage the myriad aspects of Parkinson’s, including exercise, stress management, medication adherence, managing freezing episodes, as well as more difficult topics such as palliative care.” 

Read more about this project here.

Empowering Parkinson’s Communities

An initiative of Parkinson’s Nebraska, this project aims to address health disparities in Nebraska through statewide education and empowerment, with the goal of equitable access to Parkinson’s education and specialized care in rural areas. The organization plans to meet this goal through a NET Connects television program (in partnership with Nebraska’s statewide media service) and a robust community outreach program. These methods will help reach communities with limited internet access and ensure that all Nebraskans are aware of the symptoms of and strategies to manage Parkinson’s, as well as helping equip community leaders with the knowledge, tools, and resources to identify disparities and overcome local barriers. 

Read more about this project here.  

Learn More about the community grants program at our upcoming webinar

On Monday, January 24, we will be hosting a webinar for people interested in learning more about the  Healthy Parkinson’s Communities grants program. No need to register; simply sign up for the Healthy Parkinson’s Communities newsletter here to receive the link. You can also learn more about the Healthy Parkinson’s Communities initiative here 

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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