The Edmond J. Safra National Parkinson's Wellness Initiative Expands to Chicago and Tampa

MIAMI, Nov. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) announced today that the Chicago and Tampa communities will be the newest sites to join the Edmond J. Safra National Parkinson's Wellness Initiative. The program uses a medical-community partnership model to create a network of support at Jewish Community Centers (JCCs) around the country dedicated to improving quality of life for people with Parkinson's.

NPF awarded grants to the JCCs of Chicago and the Tampa JCC & Federation, along with an NPF Center of Excellence (COE) in each city—Northwestern University Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center and University of South Florida Byrd Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center—to provide this Parkinson's wellness program in their communities. Together, the JCCs and COEs will facilitate access to safe and Parkinson's-appropriate exercise programs as well as support and educational opportunities, all in a welcoming, community-based setting.

"Of the treatments available today, exercise remains the most promising way to try to slow the impact of Parkinson's. Our goal at NPF is to partner with leading community organizations to help ensure that people have access to safe and Parkinson's-appropriate exercise programs," said Peter Schmidt, PhD, NPF's Chief Mission Officer. "We were very impressed with the proposals from the JCCs and NPF Centers of Excellence and expect to see this program changing the lives of people with Parkinson's in the greater Chicago and Tampa areas."

The national program is based on the groundbreaking Edmond J. Safra Parkinson's Wellness Program - NYC, which launched in 2007 as a partnership between The Marlene and Paolo Fresco Institute for Parkinson's and Movement Disorders at NYU Langone Medical Center and JCC Manhattan. The Greater Boston and Greater Washington, DC, communities were the first to launch the national initiative in June of this year, and enrollment at both sites has already doubled. Chicago and Tampa will begin their programming—including three Parkinson's-specific fitness classes, a weekly care partner support group and seasonal community events—in January 2016.

The program in all five cities – Boston, Chicago, New York, Tampa and Washington, DC – is open to the full community, no matter a participant's medical or religious affiliation. Classes are offered at low cost, and JCC membership is not required to participate.

"JCC Chicago believes strongly in providing a foundation for lifelong health and wellness within the communities we serve," said Todd Braman, Assistant General Director of JCC Chicago. "The generous support from the National Parkinson Foundation and the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation enables us to create programs for those living with Parkinson's who otherwise have very limited access to the specialized exercise and movement activities that are so critical to maintaining their health. We are fortunate to have Northwestern University School of Medicine and CJE Senior Life as partners in this endeavor, as they are at the forefront of Parkinson's care and support for individuals and their families."

"The Edmond J. Safra National Parkinson's Wellness Initiative will merge the expertise of an NPF Center of Excellence with the warmth and intimacy of a community center. Through this collaboration, we will bring education, support, and exercise initiatives to people outside of the space of a major academic center," said Danny Bega, MD, MSCI, Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology at Northwestern University.

"The strength of the Edmond J. Safra National Parkinson's Wellness Initiative is its focus on high quality, medical and community collaboration in service of our patients and families," said Amy Lemen, LCSW, managing director, the Edmond J. Safra National Parkinson's Wellness Initiative and Program Director, The Fresco Institute at NYU Langone. "We have taken great care in selecting excellent partners in each community."

"We here at the JCC Manhattan congratulate the JCCs of Chicago and the Tampa JCC & Federation on their commitment to serve the Parkinson's community. We're proud to share with them what we've learned over the past 8 years in the development of the Edmond J. Safra Parkinson's Wellness Program-NYC. We are grateful for The Fresco Institute at NYU Langone and the National Parkinson Foundation for their collaboration and partnership," said Joy Levitt, Executive Director, JCC Manhattan.

This program is funded through the generous support of The Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation. If you would like to learn more about The Edmond J. Safra National Parkinson's Wellness Initiative, visit www.parkinson.org/wellness or call the NPF Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636).

About Parkinson's Disease (PD)
Affecting an estimated one million Americans and four to six million worldwide, Parkinson's is the second most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's and is the 14th leading cause of death in the United States. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression) as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., depression and anxiety). There is no cure for PD and 60,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the United States alone.

About the National Parkinson Foundation (NPF)
Founded in 1957, the National Parkinson Foundation's mission is to make life better for people with Parkinson's disease through expert care and research. NPF has funded more than $189 million in care, research and support services. For more information, visit www.parkinson.org, or call the NPF Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636).

About the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation
The Edmond J. Safra Foundation supports hundreds of projects related to science and medicine, education, religion, culture and humanitarian relief in over 40 countries. The Foundation has provided significant funding for Parkinson's disease research  and patient care at dozens of hospitals and institutes in places as varied as Natal (Brazil), Toronto, New York, Grenoble, Paris, London, and Jerusalem. For more information, visit www.edmondjsafra.org.  

About the NYU Langone Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center
The Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center at NYU Langone Medical Center was established in 2007 with the generous support of the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation to help individuals and families living with PD and other movement disorders to achieve the highest possible quality of life now. In only 7 years of existence, the Center has established itself as a leader in PD care, research, and outreach on the local, national and international levels, and it has quickly grown to be one of the largest movement disorders center in NYC. The Center was awarded the prestigious designation of NPF Center of Excellence in 2009. For more information, visit http://parkinson.med.nyu.edu/ or call 646-501-9241.

About the JCC in Manhattan 
Located on 76th Street and Amsterdam, the JCC is a vibrant non-profit community center on the Upper West Side. The cornerstone of progressive programming in Manhattan, the JCC serves over 55,000 people annually through 1,200 programs each season that educate, inspire, and transform participants' minds, bodies, and spirits.  The Marti Ann Meyerson Center for Health & Wellness is at the heart of the JCC's efforts to create a holistic environment that allows members to live their healthiest, most vibrant, and most complete life possible, serving people from every age and stage. For more information, visit www.jccmanhattan.org.

Media Contact:
Leilani Pearl
[email protected] 
305-537-9907

SOURCE National Parkinson Foundation

Related Links

http://www.parkinson.org