Stony Brook Medicine announced on April 7 that its Parkinson’s Centers have received a two-year Information and Referral Center Innovative Project Award totaling $150,000 from the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA). The funding will support expanded care and services for people living with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners across Long Island.
The grant aims to strengthen community-centered care and enhance support programs for those affected by Parkinson’s disease. Stony Brook Medicine said it currently supports over 600 patients annually through its centers at Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) and Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH).
“This award reflects the incredible dedication and innovation of our teams,” said Dr. Guy Schwartz, Director of the Stony Brook Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center and Medical Director for grant programming. “We currently support over 600 patients annually, and this funding allows us to broaden our reach, strengthen partnerships, and deliver meaningful support to individuals and families affected by Parkinson’s across Long Island and beyond.”
Parkinson’s is reported as the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. According to APDA estimates, approximately one million Americans live with PD, with about 90,000 new diagnoses each year. Men are about 1.5 times more likely than women to develop PD; while most cases occur later in life, roughly four percent are diagnosed before age fifty.
Sarah Cohen, PT, DPT, Administrator of SBSH’s Center for Parkinson’s Disease said: “Stony Brook Southampton Hospital’s Center for Parkinson’s Disease has annually served approximately 350 participants in person and more than 1,000 participants virtually. This level of participation underscores the growing regional demand for accessible programs, education and support.”
The APDA has provided ongoing program funding through SBUH and SBSH since 2018. The new award will allow interdisciplinary teams at Stony Brook Medicine to expand existing programs further—adding classes at SBSH—and deepen partnerships such as that with HOPEFitness.
Stony Brook University News contributed to media coverage of university research initiatives according to the official website. It also supported journalists by providing access to experts on campus developments according to the official website. The news service extended its reach into stories related to both Long Island and Manhattan locations according to the official website, offering story ideas as well as expert commentary on science or health topics according to the official website. Its operations focused on media relations within education according to the official website from an office based in Stony Brook while supporting activities regionally according to the official website.
The broader impact of this award may be seen in improved access for people living with PD throughout Suffolk County. As Dr. Schwartz noted earlier: “This funding allows us…to deliver meaningful support…across Long Island and beyond.”
