PHOENIX (KPHO/KTVK)
Hispanics living with Parkinson’s have never been better served than by a global, one-of-a-kind program developed by the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix.
It started as a small group in 2007 with few support groups. It has grown into a program with presence in more than a dozen countries on three continents.
Holly Shill, MD (Source: Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center)
"This kind of outreach program is exactly what Muhammad and Lonnie Ali wanted when they agreed to help open the center in 1997," says Holly Shill, MD, director of Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute. "Muhammad wanted to ensure that everyone, patients and caregivers alike, would have access to the same great care and support that he received."
The program is geared to helping people with Parkinson's and their caregivers to maintain a positive quality of life.
“The first expansion of the program began after two patients from different cities in Mexico came to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center for a Spanish Parkinson's education course and stressed that there was no education or support like this in their communities,” said Sara Baird, communications specialist with Dignity Health Arizona Service Area.
The center's Hispanic Outreach Program is led by Claudia Martinez.
"The outreach resources that we provide through the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center were previously scarce or non-existent in many of these communities,” Martinez said. “This unique network has stayed active via social media and online conferences."
The program includes support groups, education classes, workshops for caregivers and exercise and art classes.
It also offers a Promotores Program for Hispanics with Parkinson's, which is a first-of-its-kind course taught by specially trained Hispanic volunteers. The volunteers provide in-home visits for people who otherwise would not receive important education and support.
Additionally, its Spanish choir, called Voces Unidas, has received special recognition by the World Parkinson Congress for the song and video they produced which continues to attract media attention, Baird said.
Headquartered at Dignity Health St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center is a Center of Excellence designated by the National Parkinson Foundation.
http://www.azfamily.com/story/34227326/ali-parkinson-centers-hispanic-outreach-goes-global
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