COVID-19 Update

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We are announcing our new Movement Disorders Center website a little earlier than expected. This website is still a work in progress. However, it offers us additional opportunities to keep in touch with our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We’ve released our Spring 2020 On the Move! Newsletter. Please see our newsletter section to read the latest MDC news.

UCHealth has implemented guidelines to keep patients, providers, and staff healthy during this time. The Neurology department has added their own measures too. If you have an appointment in the upcoming weeks, you may be getting a call to move your appointment to a virtual visit at your provider’s discretion. Virtual visits will help us make sure all our patients are seen in a timely manner. Providers are monitoring their schedules very closely.

To see UCHealth’s policy please visit UCHealth’s website.

Movement Disorders ColoradoAlthough we’ve been treading a lot of new terrain through this pandemic, we are excited by how connected technology has kept us. On Wednesday, March 18, we hosted our first virtual movement disorders learning session. Our fellows were able to continue their education despite the distance between us!

We are trying to keep things uninterrupted when possible and appreciate your flexibility with appointments.

We recommend checking the links below for updates on COVID-19.

Parkinson’s Foundation
Center for Disease Control
CDC Fact Sheet

Stay Well!

-The Movement Disorders Team

6th Annual Parkinson Disease Symposium

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The Movement Disorders Center (MDC) hosted its 6th Annual Parkinson Disease Symposium on Saturday, October 26 at the Bruce Schroffel Conference Center. The annual conference was co-hosted by the Parkinson’s Foundation and was the first since MDC achieved the Center of Excellence designation.

MDC welcomed 290 people with Parkinson Disease, care partners, and family members and 43 volunteers and representatives from partnering community organizations. These organizations included Davis Phinney Foundation, Parkinson Association of the Rockies, Rehabilitative Rhythms, Reconnect with your Body, LSVT Global, Parkinson’s Pointe, and PD SELF.

The conference included talks about Etiology and Medications (Teresa Lee, MD), Genetics (Lisa Deuel, MD), Hospital Stays and Surgery Following a PD Diagnosis (Michelle Fullard, MD, MSCE and Jessica Barr, PA-C), Eye and Vision Problems (Erin Van Dok, O.D.), Research (Maureen Leehey, MD, FAAN), Sex and Intimacy (Susan Coates, Susan Coates Coaching), and Sleep (Brian Berman, MD, MS, FAAN). The day was emceed by Lauren Seeberger, MD, FAAN.

“Best symposium attended in a long time. Presentation length just right to cover topics and maintain attention. Enjoyed the variety of topics. Speakers presented well and able to relate to PD individuals and interject a bit of humor.”

Considering this year’s at-capacity conference room and an inability to accommodate all who want to attend, the symposium will be moving to the CU South Denver campus for 2020. While this may be farther away for some of our attendees, the new location’s amenities promise to be a great match for the needs of attendees and the conference.

The 2020 symposium will be Saturday, October 3. This year’s presentations and slides can be found on our website and on our YouTube channel. You can check our calendar for other upcoming events.

“We are new to PD and are thrilled to find out there are awesome resources available such as this conference.”

MDC Designated a Parkinson Disease Center of Excellence

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The faculty and staff at the University of Colorado Movement Disorders Center (MDC) are excited to announce we have earned the designation of Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence. Dr. Lauren Seeberger and Dr. Maureen Leehey will serve as co-directors.

The MD is now one of 34 center in the United States and one of 48 sites internationally. 

MDC showcased its commitment to the criteria of a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence throughout the application process. These criteria include practicing at the highest level of evidence-based patient care, conducting relecant research that serves patient priorities, leadership in professional training, and educating patients and the community through outreach programs. 

The team at MDC is made up of Movement Disorders-trained neurologists, neuro-palliative neurologists, neuro-behavioral neurologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, neurosurgeons, rehabilitative medicine specialists, speech language therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, neuro-psychiatrists, and many others, including the invaluable Parkinson disease organizations throughout our community. This team has a deep understanding of all aspects of Parkinson disease and its therapies. 

“We learned so much about our own program going through the rigorous process to receive designation as a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence,” said Dr. Seeberger.

 

Receiving this designation is an incredible honor and we look forward to deepening our relationships with those in our PD community. In doing so, we also look forward to elevating standards of care for people with PD and those who care for them. 

“The team at the University of Colorado is thrilled to be part of a larger network of high-performing sites that allow us to share what we do well and create opportunities to raise the bar by incorporating successful programs from other sites,” said Dr. Leehey.

Our Center is Here to Help

In 2018, the Movement Disorders Center served 3,281 people with Parkinsonism, conducted 39 PD studies involving nearly 300 patients, and delivered 78 talks to professionals and the community. 

The MDC offers a Newly Diagnosed Educational Visit shortly after diagnosis. During this visit, patients are given one-on-one education on the diagnosis and treatment options for Parkinson disease. This time is dedicated to answering all questions and providing extra support and encouragement. 

The full press release can be read on the Parkinson’s Foundation website.