25 years of lifechanging Parkinson’s care on the Eastside
A little more than 25 years ago, a group of physicians, community partners, local philanthropists and patients came together in Kirkland with a vision: To create a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary medical practice for Parkinson’s care. In 2000, the Booth Gardner Parkinson’s Care Center opened at EvergreenHealth in Kirkland. The Center consolidated the once-fragmented Parkinson’s care network in the Puget Sound region into a single facility, creating a medical home for patients living with Parkinson’s on the Eastside.
The Center—named for Booth Gardner, the late Washington governor who lived with Parkinson’s disease—began as a community resource for patients living with Parkinson’s disease and has since become a renowned site for treatment, research and knowledge for this complex neurological condition.
What makes the Booth Gardner Parkinson’s Care Center unique?
Parkinson’s patients at the Booth Gardner Center recognize that the clinic is a special place. Established in part through philanthropy, the Center was created as a state-of-the-art facility designed specifically for patients with movement disorders, filling an important gap in the local health care landscape.
Today, the Booth Gardner Center offers Parkinson’s care services along a wide continuum, from diagnostic evaluations and comprehensive neurological care to rehabilitation, physical and occupational therapies and social support. Recently, the Center has been involved in notable clinical research that led to new methods for early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, and enhanced treatment opportunities for Parkinson’s patients.
For patients at the Booth Gardner Center, being able to access a full suite of health care services related to Parkinson’s under one roof is a game-changer for health care access.
“Because everything is contained in that one practice, it makes things easier to navigate,” Port Orchard resident June Rutledge said. “Having that (care) readily available is comforting.”
June is one example of a patient whose relationship with EvergreenHealth began more than a decade ago. About two years ago, June and her physician, EvergreenHealth movement disorder neurologist Pinky Agarwal, MD, decided to step up her treatment to include Deep Brain Stimulation—a procedure that uses electrodes to stimulate different portions of the brain impacted by Parkinson’s. Deep Brain Stimulation is just one example of the innovative and transformative clinical care options for Parkinson’s patients at the Booth Gardner Center.
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How EvergreenHealth became a hub for Parkinson’s disease research
The scientific community’s understanding of Parkinson’s disease has evolved considerably over the past quarter century, as new findings continue to reveal the complex role of environment, genetics and more in the development of Parkinson’s disease.
“Ultimately, we hope that those (discoveries) will lead to even greater understanding of the progression of Parkinson’s disease, which is a big step toward having disease-modifying treatment,” Daniel Burdick, MD, Medical Director of Neurology at EvergreenHealth and Parkinson’s care expert, said.
Recently, EvergreenHealth has scaled up efforts to participate in clinical research, allowing participating Parkinson’s patients to benefit from new treatments and to test new diagnostic tools, sometimes years before they become available to the broader market.
Dr. Agarwal, medical director of clinical research trials at EvergreenHealth, was one of the principal investigators on a important study published last year that identified a biomarker via skin biopsy that could be used to diagnose Parkinson’s disease and other related neurological disorders. EvergreenHealth was one of the participating clinical trial sites for that study and many others in the Parkinson’s field, thanks to Dr. Agarwal’s leadership.
What’s next for Parkinson’s care at EvergreenHealth?
Informed by our patients, the visionary neurologists and Parkinson’s care experts at EvergreenHealth continue to identify new opportunities to expand the clinical and social support services available at the Booth Gardner Center. We are grateful to our community of donors and grateful patients who support our mission to bring exemplary care to every patient. Our goal at the Booth Gardner Center is to preserve ease, joy and a high quality of life for patients living with Parkinson’s and advance the treatment of Parkinson’s disease through research.
Help us invest in the next 25 years of community-led Parkinson’s care by making a gift to EvergreenHealth today.