Imagine you’re a healthy person, at the peak of your career,
when you begin to experience mysterious symptoms—tremors, slowness of movement,
and difficulty with balance. That was the case for
Louisville legend and car dealer William H. “Bill” Collins.
Like 1.5 million Americans, Bill learned in 1980 that
he had a condition known as Parkinson’s Disease. This brain disorder is slowly but
steadily crippling, leading to rigidity, muffled speech and lack of mobility. For
otherwise healthy adults and their families, a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease
can be a devastating blow.
To fight this disease and provide patients with resources
to live healthier lives, Bill Collins, his family and friends joined with Frazier
Rehab Institute in his hometown of
Louisville, Kentucky
to raise funds to establish the Bill Collins Parkinson’s Center in 2003.
Housed in one of the country’s leading rehabilitation hospitals,
the Center provides patients with precise diagnoses, effective
treatments, rehab care, surgical referrals, patient education, caregiver support,
and advanced medical training.
This generous support has spawned nothing
less than excellence. Today, the progression of the disease can be slowed and better
managed thanks to the groundbreaking clinical research and treatments being developed
by
University of Louisville
researcher Dr. Irene Litvan and her team at Frazier Rehab Institute. Last year,
this innovation earned national recognition when the
National Parkinson Foundation designated UofL’s Movement
Disorder Program at Frazier as a
Center
of
Excellence
—the first and only program in
Kentucky
to receive this prestigious designation.
But to achieve its full promise,
more resources are needed. An average of 75 patients are evaluated each month at
Frazier. These comprehensive assessments take at least two hours and require
another hour of follow-up. Given the demand—there are 13,000 people with Parkinson’s
Disease in
Kentucky
alone!—appointments are difficult to get. In fact, patients can wait from four to
six months to see a movement disorder specialist, a great hurdle because early intervention
is essential to slow the progression of the disease.
In addition, space for physical, occupational and speech
therapy is severely limited. At any given time, there may be a total of 20 participants
and staff engaged in therapy, challenging patients to concentrate in the crowded
environment. Funding is needed to add more gym space to meet the growing demand
for life-enhancing therapy.
Resources are also needed to train staff in rapidly advancing
treatment techniques. For example, up to 89% of Parkinson’s patients develop speech
disorders—isolating these individuals in the prime of their lives. An innovative
speech therapy technique called Lee Silverman Voice Treatment that is clinically
proven to improve speech in Parkinson’s patients. Funding is needed to provide training
for the staff in this highly specialized method so that the rapidly rising number
of patients can receive timely evaluation and treatment.
Finally, our vision is to expand these state-of-the-art
services to rural areas across
Kentucky
where people with this chronic condition do not have access to the very best care
and services. Using evolving telemedicine technology, we hope to connect Dr. Litvan
and her team with people in outlying communities.
Frazier Rehab Institute is grateful to Bill Collins, his
son Kevin, and the team at Bill Collins Ford Lincoln Mercury, for sponsoring the
Bluegrass
Bluegrass 1000 Road Tour - Bill Collins Parkinson's Center
1000. The proceeds from this exciting event will go to the Jewish Hospital &
St. Mary’s Foundation to directly benefit the Bill Collins Parkinson’s Center at
Frazier Rehab Institute. You can take great pride in knowing your involvement will
“drive” innovations and make great care available to more people coping with Parkinson’s
Disease. Thank you for your support!
Click here to learn more about the Movement Disorders Program at Frazier Rehab Institute.
http://www.jewishhospital.org/carecenters/re_sp_movementdis.asp
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