News for 2008
Free Parkinson’s Information Fair and Screening Clinic - Ventura, CA
November 5, 2008
Neurosearch and the Hutchman Neuroscience Center are proud to have joined forces with ONE Generation Senior Center to provide free screenings for PD at the Senior's Health Fair on November 5, 2008. At this event, there were a wide range of different resources for seniors. From flu shots to blood pressure and heart screenings, Dr. Robert J. Shorr, MD and Dr. Meril Platzer, MD graciously donated their day to provide free Parkinson's and memory screenings for seniors. People got to come enjoy a great day of health, food, and fun!
Free Parkinson’s Information Fair and Screening Clinic - Ventura, CA
Ventura Senior Recreation Center hosted a free Parkinson’s Info Fair and Free PD Screening Clinic on Friday September 26, 2008.
Ventura, CA: Neurosearch, a leading neurology-focused clinical research company located in Ventura, & the Hazel Hutchman Memorial Neuroscience Center, announced today that a highly successful Parkinson’s Information Fair and FREE Screening Clinic took place on Friday, September 26, 2008 at the Ventura Senior Recreation Center. The fair, co-sponsored by the Ventura County Star & Gold Coast Radio, served an estimated 300 local residents with information from featured exhibitors representing many aspects of Parkinson’s care including clinicians, community outreach representatives, research professionals, representatives from the Social Security Administration, and educational resource personnel, in addition to the actual free screening for Parkinson’s disease.
The screening process for Parkinson’s disease was a unique opportunity for Ventura county residents. Unlike other disorders where a simple test can be administered, Parkinson’s requires an assessment by a trained Neurologist who can distinguish Parkinson’s disease from other neurological issues. Dr. Robert Shorr and Dr. Robert Hutchman, two highly trained Neurologists, conducted the screenings. The physicians personally examined over 50 individuals during the course of the all day event in downtown Ventura. Many of those people received the happy news that they did not appear to have Parkinson’s disease. However, a significant number of participants screened with probable Parkinson’s disease. For those people, it was something of a good news bad news situation. Dr. Hutchman, a Mayo Clinic trained Parkinson’s specialist commented, “The bad news is that you may have Parkinson’s disease, but the good news is, now that we know, we can do something about it.”
The early detection of Parkinson’s disease is a key opportunity for the patient and physician to collaborate and be pro-active in the treatment of the disease. One of the motivations for staging this hugely successful event was the feeling that there were people in the community who were symptomatic but not being diagnosed. Both Dr. Shorr and Dr. Hutchman reported anecdotal evidence related by their patients where the patients had experienced up to several years of delays between the initial onset of symptoms and actual diagnosis and subsequent treatment for Parkinson’s disease. This delay was attributed to the fact that Parkinson’s is very challenging to diagnose in its early stages and many physicians who are not specialized in the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders can miss the initial indications. Referral to a neurologist is critical to correctly identifying this disorder.
The National Parkinson’s Foundation estimates 60,000 new cases of Parkinson’s disease are diagnosed annually. On average, that means a new case of Parkinson’s is diagnosed every nine minutes. Nearly 1.5 million Americans have Parkinson’s and 15% of these cases are people under age 50. Parkinson’s is often associated with four specific motor manifestation or cardinal symptoms; tremor, slowness in movement, stiffness or rigidity, and balance issues. For those who attended the recent Screening Clinic, the work to manage this progressively debilitating disorder has begun. If you or someone you know is concerned about Parkinson’s, participation in a future clinical screening may be an option. Perhaps educational and supportive resources are needed. If you have already been diagnosed with PD or if you are just interested in learning more, please contact the Team that is putting a face to Parkinson’s.
The Hazel Hutchman Memorial Neuroscience Center Executive Director, Susan Kline, can answer any questions regarding plans for upcoming Parkinson’s Info Fairs and screening opportunities. Susan can be reached at (805) 482-2151.
