First-ever designations in Missouri, New Jersey and Washington state
NEW YORK and MIAMI, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Parkinson’s Foundation has announced the expansion of its Global Care Network with the addition of five new centers. The expansion recognizes those centers that are providing excellent care to people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) within a broad geographic region, including the first-ever designations in Missouri, New Jersey and Washington state.
The number of people living with Parkinson’s in the U.S. is expected to rise to 1.2 million by 2030. A central priority of the Foundation is to ensure that all people with PD can obtain access to the care and support they need to improve their health and quality of life.
“These five newly designated centers join a global network that is setting the highest standard of care for people with Parkinson’s worldwide,” said John L. Lehr, president and CEO of the Parkinson’s Foundation. “People with PD accessing care at one of these centers can be assured they are receiving the very best care currently available. The expansion of our Global Care Network demonstrates the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to ensuring expert, patient-centered, Parkinson’s care, research and professional training.”
The Parkinson’s Foundation Global Care Network recognizes medical centers that excel in utilizing a specialized, multidisciplinary team-based approach to provide the highest level of evidence-based, patient-centered PD care; demonstrate leadership in professional training; and conduct impactful patient education and community outreach. The five newly designated Parkinson’s Foundation centers include:
Center of Excellence:
- The University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA)
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas, TX)
- The University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
- Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)
Comprehensive Care Center:
- Hackensack University Medical Center (Hackensack, NJ)
“The WashU Movement Disorders Center is deeply honored to be recognized as a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence,” said Baijayanta Maiti, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Neurology & Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine. “This designation underscores our team’s commitment to exceptional care, research and education for people living with Parkinson’s disease and their care partners. We are proud to draw on the shared knowledge, innovation, and best practices of the Global Care Network as we prepare the next generation of clinicians, scientists and leaders.”
Anny Lin, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, University of Washington Medicine, added: “We are deeply honored to be recognized as a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence. This designation reflects the dedication and commitment of our UWMC multidisciplinary team to providing comprehensive, compassionate care while advancing research and education. We are excited to partner with the Parkinson’s Foundation to expand opportunities and further improve Parkinson’s disease care for our patients and families throughout the Pacific Northwest.”
Every Parkinson’s Foundation center must be recertified after five years to ensure requisite standards of care. For a complete listing of Parkinson’s Foundation Global Care Network centers, visit Parkinson.org/Network.
About the Parkinson’s Foundation
The Parkinson’s Foundation makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease by improving care and advancing research toward a cure. In everything we do, we build on the energy, experience and passion of our global Parkinson’s community. Since 1957, the Parkinson’s Foundation has invested more than $513 million in Parkinson’s research and clinical care. Connect with us on Parkinson.org, Facebook, X, Instagram or call 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636).
About Parkinson’s Disease
Affecting more than one million Americans, Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing neurological disorder in the world. It is associated with a progressive loss of motor control (e.g., shaking or tremor at rest and lack of facial expression), as well as non-motor symptoms (e.g., trouble sleeping, loss of smell and depression). There is no cure for Parkinson’s and nearly 90,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Melissa Nobles Gonzalez
Parkinson’s Foundation
mgonzalez@parkinson.org
305.537.9134
SOURCE Parkinson’s Foundation