From the Director: Partnerships and growing with purpose to meet the needs of our patients and community

From the Director: Partnerships and growing with purpose to meet the needs of our patients and community

Brian D. Berman, M.D., M.S. PMDC Director and Movement Disorders Division Chief and Professor with the VCU Department of Neurology

Each day at the VCU Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders Center (PMDC) I’m reminded of what makes our mission so meaningful, and our progress possible. We’re caring for people with complex neurological conditions and working to better understand the diseases they live with. Through our commitment to these goals, we’re collectively building a center that brings a community together with one focus: improving lives.

The work of the PMDC spans multiple areas — clinical care, research, education and outreach. And our team takes an integrated approach to tackling each, which is centered on the people we serve.

I am honored to share that our center continues to grow. We’re seeing more patients, expanding our team and launching new programs. We now have more than 6,000 outpatient visits each year and provide multidisciplinary care that includes physical, occupational and speech therapy, as well as neuropsychology, nursing and social work. That’s important because the conditions we treat often affect multiple aspects of a person’s health, and coordinated care is essential to delivering effective treatment.

We have recently been named a Lewy Body Dementia Association Research Center of Excellence, a designation that reflects years of work by our team and a clear need in the community. This Center of Excellence recognition affirms the strength of our clinical and research programs and underscores the commitment our team has made to improving care for people living with Lewy body dementia. In support of the team’s work, the PMDC is welcoming a cognitive neurologist to VCU, Trey Bateman, M.D., who will work closely with our Lewy body dementia program and support both patient care and research.

As we’ve grown in expertise, we’ve also focused on building access to new treatments. One of the most exciting recent developments has been our use of subcutaneous dopamine pumps, which can deliver dopamine medication for Parkinson’s disease steadily under the skin throughout the day. For patients like Kellie Dalton, it’s made a real difference. She shared that she’s now able to do things she hadn’t been able to in years.

Our team is also studying the connection between sleep and brain health through a long-running research project that looks at how disrupted sleep may contribute to cognitive decline in people with Parkinson’s. That study has brought together experts from neurology, engineering, public health, nursing and beyond. Participants like Ken Konopky have told us how much they value contributing to something that may help others in the future.

We’re also continuing to invest in research across VCU through our PMDC Pilot Grants Program. These grants help early-stage investigators pursue new questions in the movement disorders field and collect preliminary data that can lead to larger projects and funding opportunities. We also host an Annual Research Symposium where we share findings from these projects and other studies relevant to movement disorders being conducted around VCU and celebrate what’s being accomplished. Education and community outreach are another big part of what we do. In April, we partnered with Power Over Parkinson’s to host Parkinson’s Education & Empowerment Day. More than 150 people attended the event, which focused on helping patients and caregivers take an active role in managing Parkinson’s. Margaret Preston, president of Power Over Parkinson’s, helped lead the day and continues to be a strong partner in our shared efforts to improve education and support.

We also continue to support caregivers. Our support group called TOAD (The Other Additional Dementia) gives caregivers of individuals with Lewy body dementia a space to learn from each other and speak with experts. People like Debbie Bryant, who cares for her husband, Bill, have shared how helpful the group has been. Caregiving can be isolating, and we want to ensure caregivers know they’re not alone.

Another important part of our work is training. This summer, we’re welcoming our third movement disorders fellow, and we continue to provide mentorship to students from across the educational spectrum. We even had two high school interns, Carson Spicer and Ella Kraft, spend the year with us learning about clinical care, outreach and research.

We’ve also seen strong outcomes from our speech therapy program, where we’re helping patients regain their ability to speak clearly and be understood. Many people with Parkinson’s experience voice problems that can affect confidence and connection with others. Our Parkinson’s focused speech programs offer targeted therapy that helps people feel heard again.

None of this happens without strong partnerships. That includes partnerships across VCU and VCU Health, with community organizations and with donors who support our research, education and patient programs. Their engagement allows us to take on new challenges and respond quickly when needs arise.

When I first arrived in Richmond five years ago, I quickly learned that this is a place where people want to be involved. That spirit is clear across our programs, and it’s what makes this work so fulfilling. We’re building something here with people who are invested in making life better for individuals and families living with movement disorders.

As we look to the future, we plan to keep growing with purpose. That means expanding access to care, launching new studies, training more specialists, and staying focused on what matters most — meeting the needs of our patients and their families. Thank you for being part of this work. We’re proud of what we’ve built together, and we’re excited about what the future holds.