The start of 2024 has been unusually busy at the Center for Parkinson’s Disease. Thanks to Ragan’s steadfast patience and perseverance, we recently launched the Center for Parkinson’s Disease MindBody account, which will enable us to streamline class registration. Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s inter-professional care team continues to meet monthly, sharing inter-disciplinary ‘best practices,’ improving referrals and team communication and growing our support and therapeutic group programs. Our Rock Steady Boxing coaches are doing an outstanding job of welcoming new boxers, and we just celebrated the 800th Rock Steady Boxing class on Zoom! Over 100 singers join Sing Loud for PD each week and have developed a repertoire of over 1000 songs since we transitioned to Zoom. And these are just a few highlights.  

None of this would be possible without your support. Thank you to all who included the Center for Parkinson’s Disease in end of year giving. The generosity of this community ensures that our programs remain accessible to all – thank you!  

Wishing you a joyful 2024 and looking forward to many more opportunities to be together in-person! 

In gratitude, 

Sarah 

Special congratulations to Janice Cooper who received the award for most classes attended in 2023. (Over 230 classes!)

The inter-professional allied healthcare team at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital is comprised of clinicians from different disciplines with varied specialties to best serve patients and care partners. Each newsletter will include introductions, information and updates about our team. This month, we introduce you to the clinical discipline that keeps you moving - physical therapy!

Our team of therapists attended the Parkinson’s Foundation Allied Healthcare Team training and many have pursued advanced training in LSVT Big, PWR!, A Matter of Balance for Parkinson’s and the Otago Exercise Program for falls prevention.  

What do physical therapists do and who would benefit from seeing a physical therapist?  

Physical therapists can assess mobility, balance and strength and help you to create an individualized exercise plan that is safe and beneficial. Exercise and physical therapy may help to delay symptom progression, and early baseline physical therapy assessments with regular re-assessments may help you to continue exercising safely over the long-term.  

To learn more, or to schedule a physical therapy assessment, please contact the rehabilitation department at (631) 726-8520. 

Learn more about the important role of the physical therapist on your care team here.

Back by request, the Center for Parkinson’s Disease is excited to host our 4th Annual Virtual Walking Challenge! During the month of April, you are invited to track your walking or stepping (seated counts too!).

Each step taken goes to beating last year’s team total of 2062 miles walked during the month of April, and individual winners in each category will be honored. Event details and on-line tracking forms will be shared closer to the start date! 

 

Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurologic disorder in the world. The number of people living with the disease has doubled over the past 25 years and will likely double again in the next 20. Join Dr. Ray Dorsey, David M. Levy Professor of Neurology at the University of Rochester, and Ted Thompson, Senior Vice President of Public Policy at the Michael J. Fox Foundation, to learn more about the root causes of the disease and what we can do as a community to end Parkinson’s disease. Register here.

The Parkinson's Foundation Moving Day Community Walk will be held on April 6th at Belmont Lake State Park. This community event helps to bring awareness about Parkinson’s disease and raise funds for research and program initiatives through the Parkinson's Foundation. You may learn more and register by clicking here. 

Well, maybe not the big screen, but EAT WELL is transitioning to television! Inspired by previous nutritional and cooking workshops developed by the Center for Parkinson's Disease, EAT WELL will now be filmed once monthly at LTV Studios and aired on cable channels, as well as made available on the hospital's website and YouTube channel.

As we start planning this 9-part TV series, we want to hear from you. What nutritional topics are most important to you? How can we support your goals to cook and eat healthy foods? Please take a few minutes to complete our EAT WELL Survey and stay tuned for the first episode airing May 2024! 

The House of Representatives passed the National Plan to End Parkinson's Act! The Michael J. Fox Foundation needs your help to advance the bill through the Senate. You may learn more here.

The Center for Parkinson's Disease now has its own MindBody account for class registration. Instructions on how to log-in to the account may be found here. March 1st ends our slow roll out and registration is required on the new site. 

All of our programs are offered at no charge, thanks to the generosity of this community. Please consider making a donation to the Center for Parkinson’s Disease. Donate here.

(631) 726-8600

Center for Parkinson's Disease

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital

240 Meeting House Lane

Southampton, NY 11968