In 2019, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Society. With your help, we achieved many successes. In February, The Ministry of Health announced the doubling of Deep Brain Stimulation procedures from 36 to 72 annually, and the provision of budget for hiring a second neurosurgeon. We celebrated the announcement with the Honorable Adrian Dix (BC’s Minister of Health), 29 members of the BC Legislature, Drs. Christopher Honey and Tara Rastin, and advocacy volunteers.
We engaged in conversations to increase our impact and reach with Interior Health and Island Health authorities. Contract negotiation continues into 2020; however, there has been positive progress in
discussions to add allied healthcare staff, including, speech-language pathologists and physiotherapists, to existing movement disorder clinics. These positions will initially be funded by PSBC to help provide more holistic care to people living with Parkinson’s disease.
Our progress in empowering the Parkinson’s community:
- Bringing together support group facilitators for a day-long training to expand knowledge of the disease, as well as provide tools for more effective group management
- Launching a weekly information kiosk staffed by PSBC at the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre (PPRC)
- Hosting Moving Forward, Together, a provincial conference which offered a stream for healthcare professionals
- Successfully piloting an online exercise program aimed at reaching people in communities who have limited access to Parkinson’s-specific exercise programming and/or who are homebound
- Awarding travel scholarships to people affected by Parkinson’s disease and healthcare professionals to attend the World Parkinson Congress in Kyoto, Japan
- Funding leading-edge research through the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and the Parkinson Canada Research Program to improve understanding, treatment options, and search for a cure
We continued to inform our decisions by listening to feedback from those that rely on us – including carepartners, families, people with Parkinson’s disease, and healthcare professionals.
Again, we reflect on the many accomplishments that have been made possible by you. Thank you for putting your trust in us to serve the needs of the Parkinson’s community for over 50 years.