We want to ensure our community members have the resources they need available to them right here in New Hampshire and Vermont through our Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center.
Melanie L. Del Frari, MSN, APRNDartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC), the flagship academic medical center of Dartmouth Health, will celebrate its designation by the Parkinson’s Foundation as a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence with a celebration on Wednesday, January 11. In addition to a plaque dedication, patients and the public are invited to the “Ask an Expert” symposium to learn about Parkinson’s disease and the resources available at DHMC’s Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center.
The event, happening from 2 to 4 pm in Auditoria E and F, will feature a discussion outlining the basics of Parkinson’s, followed by a panel of experts to answer questions from participants. Common issues faced by Parkinson’s patients, from fatigue to apathy to freezing of gait, will all be discussed.
“DHMC’s designation by the Parkinson’s Foundation as a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence is critical, because it lets our patients with Parkinson’s disease know that they are receiving the best care possible with us,” said Melanie L. Del Frari, MSN, APRN, clinical coordinator for the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center. “We are really excited about this event. Coming together on January 11 allows us to officially recognize our important Center of Excellence designation as well as open the floor to our patients, allowing them to ask important questions about their condition and care. Mostly, we want to ensure our community members have the resources they need available to them right here in New Hampshire and Vermont through our Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center.”
To be designated as a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence, a medical center must have a specialized team of neurologists, movement disorder specialists, physical and occupational therapists, mental health professionals and others who are up to date on the latest Parkinson’s medications, therapies and research. Each center is required to meet rigorous care, clinical research, professional training, community education and outreach criteria. Every center must reapply for designation after five years to ensure required standards of care. DHMC is one of just 37 Centers of Excellence nationwide and the only one in northern New England.
Registration for this free event is limited. To register, visit https://bit.ly/3WJNJAT.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire's only academic health system and the state's largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 56 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, the state’s only children’s hospital, and multiple clinic locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene and New London, NH, and Bennington and Windsor, VT; Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.