Webinar Series: Health Disparities and Parkinson’s
We created our Health Disparities and Parkinson’s Webinar Series as part of our commitment to understanding and working to change deeply rooted inequities in healthcare that black, brown, and indigenous communities; LGBTQ+; immigrant, and refugee communities; and people of color experience.

This webinar was recorded live on February 11, 2021.
When it comes to addressing the needs of a Parkinson’s community, we often talk about an urban/rural divide. It is assumed that the barriers and health disparities that exist for those living in large cities and rural communities are vastly different, but some experts now are suggesting this may not really be the case.
In this webinar, a panel of Parkinson’s organization leaders serving people across the US discussed:
- Common issues that exist within urban communities and rural communities alike
- Common assumptions and misunderstandings about rural and urban communities
- What policy makers and other decision makers miss most often when it comes to addressing the unique needs of our communities
- What leaders and Parkinson’s advocates can do TODAY to help address health disparities like these that may exist in their own communities
Panelists: Wendy R. Lewis, Amber Winter, Holly Chaimov, and Kathleen Crist, LMSW
Moderator: Soania Mathur, MD
This webinar was recorded live on December 2, 2020.
When it comes to advancements in the care and treatment of Parkinson’s, research is a key component to inform and influence the way therapies are trusted, adopted, prescribed, and followed. But what happens when access to participation in research and even the design of investigations neglects to consider a diverse audience?
In this conversation between Jonathan Jackson, PhD, and Nabila Dahodwala, MD, we will explored:
- Why diverse participation in research matters
- What researchers get wrong about designing and recruiting for diverse participation
- What leaders in health disparities and Parkinson’s research are focusing on right now
- What role research can play when it comes to changing equity and access to Parkinson’s care
This webinar was recorded live on August 6, 2020.
We will begin this series by identifying what health disparities look like in the Parkinson’s community. Our expert panelists, who have extensive experience in research, medical care, hospital management, community outreach, and community programming, will help define the problem and share their experiences to help us root our understanding and identify future actions.
In this webinar, our panel will discussed:
- The definition of health disparities
- The personal and professional experiences that led them to do this work
- Their experience observing and then implementing efforts that have shown promise to change this issue
- Their call to action for all of us – where they see the most urgent needs and when, where, and how we can help bring about change
Panelists: Nabila Dahodwala, MD, Jonathan Jackson, PhD, Nicte Mejia, MD, MPH, Claudia Martinez, MD, Altaf Saadi, MD MSc
Moderator: David Leventhal
Black, brown, and indigenous communities; LGBTQ+; immigrant and refugee communities; and people of color experience disproportionate inequities in healthcare. In the Parkinson’s world, we know that the people we see at events, classes, support groups, and programs do not fully represent our nation’s diversity, no matter the demographics of the surrounding areas. For too long, many of us have noticed this, wondered why, and moved on.
But we recognize that this absence is not by accident. It is not by chance. It is the result of deeply rooted systemic health and cultural inequities. And we are not satisfied with merely noticing this absence. We want to understand it and change it.
Please join us for our Health Disparities and Parkinson’s Webinar Series, starting August 6, so we can begin to understand this issue better. We will learn from thought leaders and pioneers in this area so that we may see this problem more clearly and begin to understand how we can change our communities.
We express gratitude and acknowledge the work of the Black Lives Matter movement and the social justice work of countless others whose years of dedicated advocacy have led us all to this tipping point. We honor their work by doing our own.
We are a community of learners. We are not here to come up with all the answers, but instead to be deeply curious. We are here to listen.
As ideas come to me, I will capture them. I will notice when I have only questions and no answers and capture these as well. I will take time to process what I learn today and consider how I can approach the world in ways that challenge the status quo, broaden the horizon, and create new pathways for my community.
Check out this blog post for some working definitions of common terms as well as an extended list of resources that dig into topics including race and racism, implicit bias, equity, and much more.
Presented in partnership with:
