New Complexity in Parkinson Disease

The following guest column appears in print in today's Sarasota Herald-Tribune's Opinion pages. The author, Dr. Dean Sutherland, is the Medical Director for The Neuro Challenge Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing medical, educational and emotional support to those suffering with debilitating life challenges such as Parkinson Disease. Dr. Sutherland is a keynote speaker at tomorrow's Annual Parkinson Symposium at the SMH Institute for Advanced Medicine.

The Jan. 19 edition of Health and Fitness in the Herald-Tribune carried a New York Times piece by Denise Grady outlining drug withdrawal reactions that can occur when patients stop or reduce the dosage of dopamine agonists (pramipexole and ropinerole), a class of drugs used by Parkinson disease sufferers. As medical director of Neuro Challenge Foundation, I have received several inquiries from interested and concerned patients who read this article. There are a large number of Parkinson patients in the Sarasota/Manatee area, roughly 5,000 to 8,000 individuals, and many of them could be affected by this issue.

The small study from New York Presbyterian/Cornell-Weill Medical Center found that, of 26 patients who tapered off on or discontinued these drugs, five had withdrawal symptoms similar to cocaine withdrawal. Two of the five had no lasting effects, but the other three had to go back on the drugs to alleviate anxiety, panic attacks, depression, sweating, nausea, pain, fatigue, dizziness or drug cravings. The patients taken off these dopamine agonists in the study were already having side effects, such as impulse control (harmful obsessions or compulsions), drops in blood pressure or hallucinations. We see this in the hospital setting when patients cannot take their Parkinson medications. My colleagues and I are often called for neurological advice when these patients undergo intestinal surgery or require a breathing tube in the intensive care unit.

Many years ago, Parkinson disease was considered a relatively simple disease resulting from loss of dopamine producing cells in one part of the brain, the substantia nigra. Clinical symptoms involved tremor, slowness, balance problems and shuffling gait. Fixing the problem meant providing the missing dopamine in the form of a pill called Sinemet, which we still use today. To find more effective treatments, molecules that act like dopamine were created: hence, dopamine agonists. While we have many more drugs to treat Parkinson, dopamine and dopamine agonists remain the most powerful and, not surprisingly, have the most powerful side effects.

We now know that Parkinson disease is actually quite complicated, involving many different neurotransmitters, not just dopamine. Most, if not all, of the brain becomes involved eventually. Interestingly, evidence has been mounting for several years now that Parkinson is a multi-organ disease, with pathological changes that can clearly be seen in the gastrointestinal tract and the heart. Clinical symptoms (in addition to the above) may include loss of sense of smell, constipation, low blood pressure, depression or anxiety. A fascinating recent development is the theory outlined by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Stanley Prusiner, along with Dr. Warren Olanow, that Parkinson disease may be an infectious process relying on abnormal proteins rather than viruses, bacteria or fungi.

Until recently, there was a notable gap between local delivery of care to Parkinson patients and the programs offered by national organizations. However, as is happily the case with other issues, things are different in Sarasota. I have the pleasure of working with dozens of individuals willing to step forward and fill this gap. Sarasota is home base for a number of groundbreaking programs in the field of Parkinson disease that patients and caregivers should take advantage of, including free resource and referral programs, support groups, Web-based information, fitness classes and alternative movement-oriented activities specifically designed for Parkinson patients, like tai chi, yoga, chair yoga, pool therapy, acupuncture, boxing, and ballroom dancing. Backed up by recent studies, Parkinson disease specialists now promote exercise as a major piece in the treatment puzzle.

Being at your best, whether you have Parkinson disease or another health problem, requires information and dedication. Ask questions of your doctor, read as much as you can, attend lectures and support groups, exercise regularly, and carefully follow your doctor's plan of care for you.

About Dean Sutherland: Dean Sutherland, M.D., Ph.D, is a neurologist specializing in the treatment of Parkinson disease and founder of the Southeastern Center for Parkinson Disease in Sarasota.

About the Parkinson Symposium: The 12th Annual Parkinson Symposium, sponsored by Sarasota Memorial Hospital and the Neuro Challenge Foundation, will be held Saturday at the SMH Institute for Advanced Medicine, 5880 Rand Blvd. off Clark Road. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the program from 10 to noon. It is the largest patient-centered Parkinson disease symposium in Florida. International experts provide cutting-edge scientific information and clinically relevant facts that patients can use to enhance their lives. The suggested donation is $20 per person. On the Web: www.neurochallenge.org. Phone: 926-6413

Ashley's: Fresh Choices, Fresh Start

Resolving to eat healthy in 2010? Ashley’s Food Delivery, Sarasota’s only multi-restaurant delivery service, can help with fresh meal choices available for delivery right to your home or office.

“We strive to include restaurants in our delivery service that can help you meet your healthy lifestyle goals without giving up convenience,” says Liz Sniegocki, co-owner of Ashley’s Food Delivery. “Several of our partners offer low-calorie and low-fat menu options to help you meet weight loss goals. And others feature full menus developed around natural and healthy foods prepared with gourmet style.”

When you want a fresh, healthy meal but don’t have the time to plan it, shop for it and prepare it, Ashley’s can deliver it to your door from Simon’s Coffee House, which offers whole & organic foods, raw food specials and healthy drinks, or Lonjevity Superfusion Café, whose menu is based around super-healthy “superfoods” and touts gluten-free options.

“Traditionally, finding a low-calorie, low-fat meal on a restaurant menu was a challenge,” says Sniegocki. “But several of our partners now offer calorie-conscious menus full of flavor without the guilt. So you can treat yourself to delivery, without blowing your diet. ”

Ashley’s delivers Weight Watchers endorsed meals from Applebee’s (Weight Watchers Points™ values are listed right on the Ashley’s Food website) as well as five Applebee’s entrees under 550 calories each. Calorie-conscious consumers can also choose from a selection of Chili’s Guiltless Grill entrees at 750 calories each. Yet another healthy alternative: Basil’s Flame Broiled Chicken. It’s low in fat, calories and cholesterol.

Full delivery menus for these restaurants, and over 25 more, are available on the Ashley’s Food Delivery website, www.AshleysFood.com. Orders can be placed online, or with a customer service representative at 953-FOOD.

About Ashley’s Food Delivery: The area’s only multi-restaurant delivery service, Ashley’s Food Delivery partners with over 30 restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton to deliver everything from home-cooked, comfort food to elegant, gourmet dining. Ashley’s Food offers residential & corporate meal delivery, drop-off catering services and gift basket delivery. The service is open for lunch delivery Monday through Friday (Sarasota only) and dinner delivery every day. For more information, call 953-FOOD or visit www.AshleysFood.com.

Concrete Countertops, Etc. in Business Weekly

The recent expansion and unique service of Sarasota's Concrete Countertops, Etc. was featured in today's Business Weekly, a feature of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The following is an excerpt from the article, entitled "From Cement and Water, a Niche Industry is Born," by Residential Real Estate reporter Tom Bayles:

Returning to Florida in early 2008, Brady took a job with a concrete design company. But he saw potential in using the product in different ways.

"On one hand, this stuff has been used for thousands of years, yet in this day and age people want it to be perfect," Brady said. "It's hard to maintain the balance between being a hand-made, artistic product and the stain-resistant durability that a customer seeks in their kitchens."

He did not stay with the company for long: "My entrepreneurial spirit got the best of me. I have always worked on my own, and now I had found concrete countertops."

Read the entire article here. For more information about Concrete Countertops, Etc. please visit www.concretecountertopsetc.com.

Ina May Gaskin Awarded Honorary Doctorate

Ina May Gaskin of Summertown, Tennessee, was awarded the title “Honorary Doctor” by the Thames Valley University, London, England, on November 24, 2009. The award was presented by the faculty of the Health and Human Sciences division of the University in recognition of her work in demonstrating through midwifery and natural childbirth that women’s bodies still work as they were designed. Gaskin accepted the award in the Grand Auditorium of Wembley Stadium before an audience of 600.

Gaskin, who will turn 70 in March, thanked her mother for not scaring her about childbirth; Dr. Grantly Dick-Read (author of the classic Childbirth Without Fear); her high school biology teacher for teaching her to keep an open mind; her husband, Stephen Gaskin, for allowing 270 young people to accompany him on a lecture tour in the winter of 1970-71; and several physicians for mentoring her during the early years of her career as midwife.

Gaskin also thanked “the little Capuchin monkey who, in 1970, held my hand with an electrifying touch, thereby teaching me in an instant that I could also have touch that powerful if I lived as much in the moment as she did.”

With the honorary degree, Gaskin is now a PhD(Hon.), as well as a CPM, Certified Professional Midwife. She is Executive Director of the Farm Midwifery Center, which she helped found in 1971; the center has handled more than 2600 births, with statistics showing much better than average outcomes. Gaskin herself has attended more than 1200 births. She is author of Spiritual Midwifery, now in its fourth edition, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, and a new book, Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding.

Gaskin lectures internationally at midwifery conferences, at medical schools and hospitals, both to students and to faculty. She was President of Midwives’ Alliance of North America from 1996 to 2002. In 1997, she received the ASPO/Lamaze Irwin Chabon Award and the Tennessee Perinatal Association Recognition Award. She was featured in Salon magazine’s “Brilliant Careers” in 1999. In 2003 she was chosen as Visiting Fellow of Morse College, Yale University.

Gaskin transformed her observation of increasing maternal mortality in the United States into The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project, a national effort to honor women who have died of pregnancy-related causes and to draw public attention to the high maternal death rate in the U.S.

Her promotion of a low-intervention but extremely effective method for dealing with one of the most-feared birth complications, shoulder dystocia, has resulted in that method being adopted by a growing number of practitioners. The Gaskin maneuver is the first obstetrical procedure to be named for a midwife. Gaskin learned it from a Belizean midwife, who had learned it from indigenous midwives in Guatemala.

Gilkey's Cherokee Park West on SRQ Cover

The Cherokee Park West project, a collaboration between Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. landscape architecture and Jonathan Parks Architect, was featured on the cover of the November SRQ Magazine. The award-winning project has received national attention, and SRQ editor Lisl Liang and writer Lindsay Downey took notice. The following excerpts are from the feature, entitled "Cherokee Romance."

Nestled among towering oaks and statuesque retreats in Sarasota’s exclusive Cherokee Park neighborhood sits a home reminiscent of a bygone era, where cool breezes float through grandiose windows and indoor and outdoor spaces flow into one. The crisp white, art deco-meets Moroccan-style home extends effortlessly to a series of inventive outdoor rooms where hedges create walls, hardscape mimics tile, tree canopies define the ceiling and textured plants accent a vibrant outdoor décor.

Architect Jonathan Parks designed the home at 1729 Cherokee Drive with influences of the 1920s, a time when open windows and natural light paid homage to architectural clarity and brought a sense of organic nature to the indoors. But what began as a home designed to pay tribute to the legacy of the quiet, family-oriented Cherokee Park neighborhood became one of the most innovative uses of indoor-outdoor spaces in the city, with Parks and landscape architect Michael A. Gilkey, Jr. meshing their visions into one. “The thoughtfulness of going through and really tying the landscape and the architecture together, it’s one of the most collaborative projects we’ve done,” Parks says. The home, which was completed in December 2008 and is listed for a sale price of $2.5 million, won Residential Design and Build magazine’s 2009 Design Excellence Award for Outdoor Living and the Florida Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects’ 2009 Award of Honor.

Whereas a landscape architect might typically come in at the end of a home construction project, Gilkey and Parks talked through design concepts together from day one. “They had to be on the same page philosophically and their hearts and minds really needed to be in tune with each other,” says (owner and developer Jan) Zachariasse. The artists envisioned small courtyards and romantic gardens comprising a series of distinct yet intimate exterior spaces that would spill out from the modular home.

Concrete Countertops, Etc. Expands Studio

The Sarasota-based concrete surface studio Concrete Countertops, Etc. has relocated to Eastern Industrial Park. The larger workspace, located at 1939 Barber Road in Sarasota, can now meet the needs of the company’s thriving business and enhanced fabrication capabilities.

“After over a year in business and a certification in Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete under my belt, I felt the need to expand my workspace,” says Concrete Countertops, Etc. owner Jake Brady. “Now that I can fabricate much larger custom pieces, the word has spread, and I’m busier than I’ve ever been.”

Jake Brady’s training in Glass Fiber Reinforced Concrete (GFRC) allows him to use an environmentally friendly substitute for traditional Portland cement. He also applies ultra-fast UV sealants, resulting in 28-day strength in just one day. This combination of technologies creates a 62% reduction in carbon footprint, and the ability to create smooth, seamless pieces of up to 12’ in length. These technologies allow Brady to increase production and create a lighter weight, more durable product. Most recently, Concrete Countertops, Etc. has installed the kitchen surfaces for a newly constructed Mission Valley Estates residence in Nokomis. This Josh Wynne Construction project is receiving Green certification from the Florida Green Building Council, Energy Star, FPL Build Smart and other groups. Concrete Countertops, Etc. has also teamed up with local landscape architecture studio Michael A. Gilkey, Inc., to co-design a new line of custom concrete planters.

ABOUT CONCRETE COUNTERTOPS, ETC.: Established in 2008, Concrete Countertops, Etc. is an innovative concrete design and installation studio in Sarasota, Florida. In step with the very latest in concrete and LEED certification requirements, owner Jake Brady takes pride in his commitment to ecological responsibility and creative and elegant surface technology. Concrete Countertops, Etc. offers a unique technique, sustainable mix design, and philosophy that can satisfy the unique vision of his discerning clientele. The surfaces created by Concrete Countertops, Etc. are beautiful and long lasting, and play a vital role in reducing the burden on our nation’s landfills. For more information, please call Jake Brady at (941) 232-1411, or visit www.concretecountertopsetc.com.

Local Amish Holiday Gift Baskets: Delivered!

Ashley’s Food Delivery, Sarasota’s only multi-restaurant delivery service, has teamed up with local Amish restaurant Troyer’s Dutch Heritage to offer locally made gift baskets available for delivery this holiday season. Ideal for personal and corporate gift giving, these food-filled baskets reflect the traditional heritage and old-fashioned charm of Sarasota’s local Amish community.
“Troyer’s gift baskets offer true local flavor with homemade baked goods and home-style delicacies produced right here in Sarasota, making a truly unique gift,” says Liz Sniegocki, co-owner of Ashley’s Food Delivery. “With delivery available to homes and offices throughout the area, they are also a convenient gift option, perfect for clients, friends and family. Plus, gift givers have the satisfaction of knowing they are supporting our local economy with their purchases.”

The Troyer’s Heritage Basket features 100 percent locally made treats from the Troyer’s Dutch Heritage bakery and restaurant, as well as a copy of the newly-published Heritage Favorites cookbook, a collection of family recipes from Troyer’s employees. Included is a small homemade pie, home-style fudge, fresh granola, apple butter, jam, old-fashioned candies and more.
Also available for delivery are the Troyer’s Brunch Basket (filled with home-style goodies including homemade sweet bread & cookies, coffee, tea, two ceramic Troyer’s mugs, jelly, fruit mix, homemade peanut butter, candy and more) and the Troyer’s Party Basket (a sampling of Amish delights including a summer sausage, a cheese round, pretzels & crackers and Amish dressings & dips).In addition to Troyer’s gift baskets, Ashley’s is also delivering a variety of baskets and sweet gift items from Peterbrooke Chocolatier. The Chocolate Lover’s Holiday Basket is a sweet tooth’s dream, filled with Peterbrooke’s signature chocolate covered popcorn, handmade assortments and hand-dipped specialties.
Ashley’s Food Delivery makes seasonal gift giving easy and convenient with a complete Gift Basket Delivery Menu available at www.ashleysfood.com. Order online, or call 953-FOOD and let a customer service representative help you select the perfect gifts for friends and family, colleagues and clients. Delivery is available everyday; 72 hour notice is requested. Featured holiday gift baskets (mentioned here) are $55.00, including delivery; or a variety of delectable gift selections are available to fit your budget. Complimentary gift cards can be included with all gifts, upon request.

About Ashley’s Food Delivery: The area’s only multi-restaurant delivery service, Ashley’s Food Delivery partners with over 35 restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton to deliver everything from home-cooked, comfort food to elegant, gourmet dining. Ashley’s Food offers residential & corporate meal delivery, drop-off catering services and gift basket delivery. The service is open for lunch delivery Monday through Friday (Sarasota only) and dinner delivery every day. For more information, call 953-FOOD or visit www.AshleysFood.com.

Maternal Health Weekend: Events Summary

Last weekend, Sarasota was host to several events aimed at improving maternal health care here at home and throughout the country. Headlining the weekend was Sunday afternoon's panel discussion Maternal Health Care in the 21st Century: Sarasota and Beyond. Present for this and all other events was the world's leading midwife, Ina May Gaskin.

Ms. Gaskin began her visit to Sarasota with a Clinical Conference for the medical staff of Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) on Friday, October 30. Her presentation was entitled "Combining the Best of Modern Obstetrics with Respect for Nature and Traditional Midwifery Approaches." Her objectives were threefold: to explore the knowledge base and skills common to traditional midwifery; to understand the need for both modern obstetrics and (authentic) midwifery; and to build positive relationships between the two professions (especially with regard to home birth midwives). Present at the conference were SMH Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Dr. Washington Hill; Sarasota County Health Department OB/GYN Dr. John Abu; Licensed Midwives Christina Holmes and Alina Vogelhut; and several members of the hospital staff and the community, including childbirth educators, nurses and retired physicians. The presentation will be available via podcast on the SMH Continuing Education website.

Friday afternoon found Ina May Gaskin touring both of Sarasota's freestanding birth centers (Birthways Family Birth Center and Rosemary Birthing Home), and having lunch with Sonia Pressman Fuentes, the co-founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Two of the most influential women in recent American history, the pair discussed the shift in birth culture in the last half century, the difference between American governmental structure and that of most European countries with better maternal outcomes, and the role of the feminist movement in changing the American perception of birth.

Saturday morning, October 31, Ina May Gaskin presented the Safe Motherhood Quilt Project at the Selby Public Library. Ms. Gaskin spoke to Sarasota's SNN News Channel 6 before the presentation, saying "In 2007, the World Health Organization reported that there are forty other countries that do better at preventing maternal death than the United States." Three panels of the quilt were shown in the library's Geldbart Auditorium, after having been hung from the atrium balcony during the week prior. These three panels contained 58 squares, each representing a woman who has died of pregnancy or childbirth related causes in America since 1982. Ms. Gaskin argues that simple measures such as a unified federal death certificate and an increase in percentage of hospital autopsies would dramatically improve U.S. maternal outcomes. The presentation was followed by a booksigning benefiting the project, as well as Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM), a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to promoting and preserving access to midwifery care in Florida. Ms. Gaskin signed copies of her classic Spiritual Midwifery, the gold standard prenatal education book Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, and her newest release, Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding, said by Dr. Christiane Northrup to be "the best thing ever written on the subject."

Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm, Ina May Gaskin met in the Hyatt Regency Sarasota Ballroom with Dr. Washington Hill once more, as well as Sarasota Healthy Start Coalition executive director Jennifer Highland and Representative Keith Fitzgerald, for a panel discussion called Maternal Health Care in the 21st Century: Sarasota and Beyond. The discussion was moderated by Sarasota Vice Mayor Kelly Kirschner, who shared his perspective as a City Commissioner that improved maternal health is a formula of community growth.The panel was a free program which included refreshments and a 28 page Maternal Health Resource Guide, all made possible by the hard work of the sponsoring organizations and the generosity of several business partners. Approximately 250-275 people attended the discussion, including several guests of expertise in the field of maternal health and associated disciplines.
Dr. Washington Hill was the first to speak, pointing to a collaborative model of care as the standard for positive outcomes, and encouraging open communication between the many components of maternal health care and its providers.Ina May Gaskin followed, discussing maternal death, its possible prevention and ways to move toward accurate recordkeeping, and the importance of prenatal health. She illustrated strategies in other countries with much better outcomes than ours, such as the Netherlands, which provides its new pregnant women with paid postpartum care. Jennifer Highland then presented a staggering display of statistics illustrating Sarasota's place in Florida and the rest of the country in categories such as infant death, fetal death, smoking during pregnancy, breastfeeding rates and more. Jennifer suggested that Sarasota County's high cesarean section percentage be closely examined and reversed to improve preterm birth rates and NICU admissions, and that prenatal health be a priority of all parties involved.
Finally, Florida House of Representatives Health and Family Services Policy Council member Rep. Keith Fitzgerald gave the audience a history of health insurance, an overview of health care reform issues, and a call to action. When talking about the frequency of special interest groups' appointments with him and his colleagues, Fitzgerald asked: "Where are you?"

Questions were then taken from audience members, who asked about tort reform, individual OB/GYN's c-section rates, and women's intuition--among many other things.

After the panel discsussion, Florida Friends of Midwives (FFOM) hosted the tribute An Evening with Ina May Gaskin in the Boathouse of the Hyatt Regency Sarasota. Guests received keepsake tickets, signed a book of gratitude for Ms. Gaskin, and viewed a tribute DVD of her work and its manifestation through the midwives and midwife-assisted births here in Sarasota. Net proceeds of approximately $2500 will help FFOM in their strategy to protect Florida's midwives and their laws, and to improve public awareness of the Midwives Model of Care.It was the honor of a lifetime for Kangaroo Promotions to provide event planning services, graphic design coordination, media and community relations and all marketing services for The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project Presentation, Maternal Health Care in the 21st Century: Sarasota and Beyond, and An Evening with Ina May Gaskin.

Urban Reef to Open in Downtown Sarasota

URBAN REEF is proud to announce its grand opening, infusing a fresh vacation atmosphere into the heart of downtown Sarasota. The Reef is cooking up fresh tropical cuisine with an edgy twist, nightly live entertainment and a wide range of special events. URBAN REEF is owned and operated by the two-generation Sarasota family of Larry and Kathy Heinzerling and Eric and Andrea Zito. The grand opening is set for Thursday, November 12th, with a soft opening on Monday, November 2nd.

With inspiration from traditional Floribbean cuisine, Urban Reef has developed a menu with that is unique to Sarasota, bringing the beach into the city with fresh, local seafood. Common ingredients in the URBAN REEF kitchen are bold and modern, featuring stars such as curry, coconut, coffee, pumpkin, cilantro, and ginger. For starters, URBAN REEF offers Caribbean inspired appetizers, featuring:

--Deep Fried Barbados Style Fish Fritters with House Tarter --Massa Corn Slow Braised Pork Tamale Cakes, Chipotle Chocolate Sauce, Sour Cream & Pineapple Pickled Ginger

Featured dishes from the URBAN REEF dinner menu include:

--Crispy Skin-on Snapper, Pineapple Slaw, Coconut Red Curry and Mango Salsa --Pan Seared Grouper, Spinach Lump Crab Stir Fry, Coo Coo Cake and Peppercorn Beurre Blanc --Coffee Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Goombay Smash Yucca Sweet Potatoes and Apple Jus

URBAN REEF offers live entertainment both upstairs and downstairs, including a vast array of talent from local DJ's, singers, bands, and karaoke performers. There are several events planned to round out the holiday season, including special industry nights, block parties and charity functions, including a benefit in early December for Daxton Cole Blanford, a nine month old baby with stomach cancer. All cover charges from the benefit will go directly to the Blanford family. “We love our community,” said co-owner Eric Zito. “We want nothing more than to add to our growing town and for our town to love us right back.”

Join the URBAN REEF family on Thursday, November 12th, for a fabulous grand opening weekend with great entertainment, food and drink specials, and prize giveaways. For more information, please call (941) 365-5181.

ABOUT URBAN REEF: Urban Reef is located at 1888 Main Street, on the corner of Links and Main in the heart of downtown Sarasota. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday for lunch from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, and again for dinner from 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM. The bar is open until 2:00 am Monday through Saturday. Dinner prices range from $15-$24 a dish. For more information, please call (941) 365.5181.

National Parkinson Leader Comes to Sarasota

Dr. Michael Okun, MD, Medical Director for the National Parkinson Foundation, will visit Sarasota this weekend to tour the Neuro Challenge Foundation (NCF) Parkinson Comprehensive Care Center and to meet with NCF leaders. Dr. Okun has taken a special interest in the Sarasota based foundation, where more than 1,300 Parkinson patients annually receive counseling and recommendations on a broad array of treatments designed specifically for Parkinson Diesease. The Care Center is part of an elite group of Parkinson Disease centers, due to its large caseload and its geographic location outside of a university setting.

Dr. Okun will also participate in the first annual Neuro Challenge Foundation Charity Golf Tournament this Saturday at the Heritage Oaks Golf and Country Club. All proceeds from the scramble format tournament will benefit Neuro Challenge Foundation, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of people struggling with Parkinson Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr. Okun will be the guest of Neuro Challenge Foundation Medical Advisor Dr. Dean Sutherland, MD, PhD and will speak to NCF Foundation supporters at a dinner following the golf tournament. Both doctors are at the forefront of Parkinson research and support services. The mission of Sarasota’s Neuro Challenge Foundation is unique and local, yet consistent with the message of the National Parkinson Foundation: to improve the quality of care for people with Parkinson’s disease through research, education and outreach.

Check-in for the tournament is at 11:00 am, followed by a putting contest and driving practice. Golfers have the chance to win cash and prizes on the course including $5,000 on a par 3 hole. The tournament begins at 1:00 pm and will end with a cocktail hour, dinner, raffle and the announcement of prizes, including a 42” flat screen TV, golf clubs, gift certificates and more. Registration for the tournament is $95 per player, and may be reserved by calling Mark Bisgeier at (941) 400-7867 or emailing golf@neurochallenge.org. Tickets for the dinner only are $35. “Bring your friends and enjoy an excellent day of play,” says Bisgeier. “And create some hope along the way.”About The Neuro Challenge Foundation: The Neuro Challenge Foundation is advised by Sarasota physicians Dean P. Sutherland, M.D., Ph.D., Bernard Feinberg, M..D. and Donald Negroski, M.D., and is dedicated to the fight against Parkinson Disease, MS and related neurodegenerative diseases. The Foundation, operated entirely through volunteer time and charitable donations, maintains a Parkinson Comprehensive Care Center in Sarasota, Florida. At the Center, patients and families receive advice on surgical and non-surgical treatments, counseling, health and fitness, home services and more. The Center offers a level of care that rivals major university medical centers. Patients seen at the Parkinson Disease Center have access to the latest information, medications, surgeries, diagnostic tests, rehabilitation services and alternative therapies. As a result, the reputation of the Center has grown by leaps and bounds, extending to the entire state of Florida and beyond.

About the National Parkinson Foundation: The mission of the National Parkinson Foundation is to improve the quality of care for people with Parkinson’s disease through research, education and outreach. Founded in 1957, NPF is a leading national organization with an extensive grassroots network of Centers of Excellence, chapters and support groups in the United States, Canada and internationally. Unique among the national Parkinson’s organizations, NPF is the only organization with a singular focus on improving the quality of care in Parkinson’s disease. Since 1982, NPF has funded more than $150 million in care, research and support services.

About Dr. Michael Okun, MD: Michael S. Okun, MD is Co-director of the Movement Disorders Center located within the McKnight Brain Institute and the University of Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Okun is dedicated to an interdisciplinary care concept, and since his appointment as the National Medical Director for the National Parkinson Foundation in 2006, he has worked with the 64 NPF Centers to help foster the best possible environments for care, research and outreach in Parkinson disease. Dr. Okun has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, and has served as a reviewer for more than 25 major medical journals. He has been invited to speak about Parkinson disease and movement disorders in various regions throughout the world, and he is currently a faculty and founding member for SUPPORT-PD, which aims to bring functional Parkinson and Movement Disorders Surgery to “countries in need” around the globe.