Renowned Parkinson's Center joins Health System to expend clinical, research programs

Union between two institutions hopes to improve the already acclaimed centers of care and research. The Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center -- formerly affiliated with Allegheny University Hospitals -- recently signed an official agreement to join the University of Pennsylvania Health System as part of the Neurological Institute. The Center -- which has had a "long association" with the University's Medical Center -- will be located at Pennsylvania Hospital starting in mid-July. As the only provider of comprehensive care for Parkinson's patients in the Delaware Valley, the Center is recognized by the National Parkinson Foundation as one of its Worldwide Centers of Excellence. Doctors from both institutions are optimistic about the Center joining the Neurological Institute -- which already includes the Departments of Neurology, Department of Neurosurgery and Division of Neuroradiology. "We chose to join UPHS because of the tremendous potential to expand our clinical an d research programs," said Matthew Stern, Director of the Center. Founded in 1982 by Stern and Howard Hurtig, the Center offers comprehensive care to patients with Parkinson's disease, a common disorder of the central nervous system. The Center also specializes in the surgical treatment of patients with other movement disorders such as dystonia, chorea, and Tourette's syndromes through procedures such as pallidotomy and deep brain stimulation. The academic component of the Center Involves research with the goal of finding a biological basis for Parkinson's and other neurological diseases which affect movement. Officials in the University Medical Center's Department of Neurology -- the oldest academic neurology department in the nation and consistently ranked among the top five in the country also had positive responses to the recent agreement. "We're looking forward to expanding upon our already productive relationship," noted Neurology Department Chairperson Robert Barchi. Physicians from the Center will work closely with Penn neurosurgeons to expand the neuroscience services at Pennsylvania Hospital. John Bell -- President of Pennsylvania Hospital -- also commented on the "exciting joint venture" between the two institutions. "The Center's distinguished role as a regional hub of clinical care and research excellence for Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders is a welcome addition to Pennsylvania Hospitals's neuroscience services."

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