January 2025 Newsletter

Patient & Care Partner Education

Our Movement Disorders Center offers various educational programs for people with Parkinson's and related disorders. View recordings of recent events and register for upcoming events below!

PD Patient & Care Partner Symposium

Recordings from this year's symposium are now available on YouTube:

(1) Can Skin Biopsies Really Be Used to Help Diagnose PD? [view]

(2) GI Symptoms in Parkinson’s: What Patients Need to Know [view]

(3) Dance for PD: The Transformative Impact of Movement & Music [view]

(4) Shaking it Up by Members of BIDMC Calling All Artists [view]

(5) Do Our Words Really Matter? A WellnessWorks Overview [view]

DBS Ambassadors Fall 2024 Webinar

Thank you to Drs. Shabbir Merchant & Josh Aronson for presenting at our most recent "DBS Ambassadors" meeting. View the recording on YouTube to learn about Deep Brain Stimulation as a treatment for movement disorders, including Parkinson's, Essential Tremor and Dystonia.

Ask the Experts Speaker Series

"Ask the Experts" is a virtual speaker series for people with Parkinson's and related disorders. All recordings are available on YouTube. Join us live on Zoom on Saturday, January 18th at 10AM for "Tick-Tock Potty Talk: Solving the Riddle of Urinary Frequency in Parkinson's" with Dr. Heidi Rayala. Register here.

Pole Walking Workshop for Parkinson's *JCC PROGRAM*

Join the JCC Greater Boston for a special workshop on pole/Nordic walking, designed to improve aerobic exercise & support individuals with PD. This is a one-time, in-person program at Leventhal-Sidman JCC on January 7th from 1-2:15PM. To register, call 617-558-6459 or view the flyer. One class isn't enough? Email wellness@jccgb.org to learn about their January pole walking series!

Dose of HOPE-A-MINE: 2025 *PALLIATIVE CARE EVENT*

While dopamine is essential for people living with PD, we are covering the topic of hopamine (the goals, desires, values and joys that people with PD pursue) in a Zoom session on January 14th at 4PM. This meeting, facilitated by Lissa Kapust, LICSW and Drs. Kuntz & Meyers from BIDMC Palliative Care, will feature advice, group discussions and a video interview with a person living with PD. This event is open to people with Parkinson's, care partners and family members. Register here.

Parkinson's: It's a Family Affair *PROGRAM FOR ADULT CHILDREN*

The Parkinson's journey is, indeed, a family affair. Adult children care deeply about their parents and juggle many priorities. Join Dr. David K. Simon and Lissa Kapust, LICSW on January 27th at 5PM for a virtual networking & educational opportunity for adult children with a parent with Parkinson's (or a related disorder, such as PSP, MSA or LBD). Register here.

Managing the Middle Years

Join us Thursday, January 9th at 3PM for a virtual meeting surrounding the challenges of the PD “middle years," when medications may no longer be as effective, and new symptoms may lead to lifestyle changes. The theme of this meeting is “Owning 2025: Make It Your Year." Register now.

For and About Women

Looking to build community within a strong group of women? This virtual networking group offers a space for women with PD or a related disorder to share experiences and coping strategies. To join us on Thursday, January 16th at 1:30PM, email wellnessworks@bidmc.harvard.edu.

Calling All Artists

This program invites artists with Parkinson's (painters, musicians, photographers, etc.) to connect virtually for networking & discussion. Our next meeting is Thursday, January 23rd 1:30PM. View the flyer and email wellnessworks@bidmc.harvard.edu to join.

Sign up for WellnessWorks!

BIDMC's WellnessWorks program offers specialized Zoom exercise classes to people with Parkinson's and related disorders. With a WellnessWorks membership, participants gain access to a variety of live exercise classes taught by instructors trained in the needs of PD. Sign up for a 3-month session or an entire year! Winter session: November 11th - February 9th.

JCC Greater Boston Collaboration

The current list of JCC Wellness classes can be found on their winter flyer or their website. Care partners may be interested in joining the JCC Caregiver Support Group led by Lissa Kapust, LICSW. Contact wellnessworks@bidmc.harvard.edu for more information on this group.

The Program to Advance Innovative Neurodegenerative Therapies at BIDMC is a collaboration among a group of Principal investigators within Neurology who share a mission to combat neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's. Together we share resources to perform clinical trials funded by pharmaceutical sponsors, foundations and the NIH to develop breakthrough therapies for these conditions.

2024 PF/PSG Annual Conference

View highlights from the Parkinson's Foundation/Parkinson Study Group Conference in Nashville, TN. Congratulations to four of our team members who were poster presenters and/or speakers.

Mission MSA Center of Excellence

BIDMC has been re-certified as a Mission MSA Center of Excellence! We are proud to provide multidisciplinary care, support services and research opportunities to multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients and families. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with MSA, you may find the Essential MSA Guidebook to be a helpful resource.

Meet the Administrative Assistants

Our Movement Disorders Administrative Team plays a vital role in supporting the patients seen at our center by scheduling appointments and facilitating communication between patients and clinicians. Call 617-667-0519 to schedule a movement disorders appointment. We are able to schedule new patients relatively quickly!

Meet Jeovahny Dessalines. Jeo is one of three administrative assistants on our team. He is from Florida, loves to fish, and is very big on True Crime documentaries! We are lucky to have you.