MONTH IN REVIEW | May 2023

May is Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month!

The University of Colorado Movement Disorders Center will host its annual Huntington’s Disease Education Day on October 7, 2023. More details will come soon. Follow our Facebook page to learn more.

On May 17, the MDC hosted its annual Research Retreat. Each year, the Movement Disorders Center brings together basic science researchers and clinical researchers to discuss the research going on for Movement Disorders across campus and across the state of Colorado. Many of these projects are still underway, but we look forward to sharing results with you when we are able.

As we move into summer, we look forward to seeing the Movement Disorders Community at many great, annual events.

MONTH IN REVIEW | April 2023

Our e-newsletter is back! You can subscribe here and you can read the April 2023 newsletter now.

In April, the Movement Disorders Center hosted Beatriz Nielsen, PhD for an Interdisciplinary talk to our faculty and staff. Dr. Nielsen received the Parkinson’s Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship for Basic Scientists.

The Movement disorders neurologist attended the American Academy of Neurology’s Annual Meeting in Boston or virtually. This is an opportunity for neurologists to come together and learn from each other. The conference highlights topics such as interesting research and upcoming therapies. Dr. Kern, Dr. Fullard, and Dr. Holden presented at this year’s conference. Our providers also use this as a chance to network with their peers from across the country.

In honor of Administrative Professionals Day, thank you to the amazing administrators in the Movement Disorders group – our research coordinators, our schedulers, our clinic management, our extensive research team, and the academic administrative team. Thank you for all that you do!

Some exciting news about the Anschutz Campus – Garage 2 opened on April 26. The garage is for patient parking and is located outside of the Anschutz Outpatient Pavilion. We hope this makes your experience as a patient more enjoyable; we’ve been waiting for the garage to open for a while.

More details are coming soon about our 10th Annual Parkinosn’s Disease Symposium this fall. We look forward to great speakers and fund door prizes.

We are also excited to announce that we have set a date for our annual Huntington’s Disease Education Day. Mark your calendars for October 7, 2023.

The Movement Disorders Center is now on Facebook! Follow our page to learn about Movement Disorders news as it happens.

November is Care Partner Appreciation Month

November is Care Partner Appreciation Month and we really appreciate the Care Partners in the Movement Disorders Community. We are grateful for all they do to support our community and want to make sure they are taken care of too.

In order to make sure those care partners are getting the care they need, we’ve put together a list of resources and self-care ideas. These resources are intended for Care Partners of any movement disorders unless otherwise noted.

Resources

Meghan Smith, LCSW created a handout of local resources and ideas for self-care timeouts. You can view, download, and print the document here.

The Supportive and Neuropalliative Care Clinic has a list of resources on their website too. You can see upcoming events and featured news articles, information for patients and care partners, and an additional list of resources.

The Parkinson’s Foundation has put together a list of resources for their November initiative, #BeASelfCareGiver. You can find the top ten list here.

Support Groups

A Support Group for Care Partners led by Cari Friedman, LCSW is offered virtually on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at 2:00 PM. Open Zoom Video Conferencing and enter the meeting ID (96935032229) and password (916562).

Another Support Group for Care Partners is led by Malenna Sumrall, PhD and Care Partner Advocate on Mondays at 7:00 PM. Please email Malenna.Summrall@cuanschutz.edu for more information.

Educational Events

The Supportive and Neuropalliative Care Clinic hosts its Care Community Series on the second Tuesday of every month at 4:00 PM. Join them on November 9 to hear “How Meditation and Mindfulness Can Support Your Well-Being,” given by Jenine Camins of UQMindfulness. No registration is required. You can join via Zoom Video Conferencing using this link. Click here for the poster.

The Parkinson’s Association of the Rockies is offering its third annual Care Partner Summit Exclusively for Care Partners of People with Parkinson’s Disease. This event will be Saturday, November 20 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM at the Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center. You will have the opportunity to hear Dr. Christina Vaughan of the University of Colorado Supportive and Palliative Care Clinic speak. You can register here.

Thank you to all of the Care Partners in the Movement Disorders Center. You are an important part of our community. We cannot say it enough.