- Welcome to -

Struthers Parkinson's Care Network

- Welcome to -

Struthers Parkinson's

CARE NETWORK

ABOUT US
Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network prepares organizations to provide quality care for individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In the United States, one person is diagnosed with PD every nine minutes, which averages to 60,000 Americans being diagnosed with PD annually. The number of Parkinson’s disease cases is projected to more than double in the next decade. These statistics necessitate organizations to become leaders in their community and highlight their commitment to persons with PD.

Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network provides a full curriculum of PD education. Our training is designed to prepare, empower and motivate site staff with ongoing support from PD experts. We help organizations develop and maintain best practices in PD care.
ABOUT US
Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network was founded in 2013 to provide inclusive, sustainable and collaborative educational opportunities for senior organizations. The network started with a six-site pilot program, and has grown to encompass sites in multiple states across the US.

Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network prepares organizations to provide quality care for individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). In the United States, one person is diagnosed with PD every nine minutes, which averages to 60,000 American’s being diagnosed with PD annually. The number of Parkinson’s disease cases if projected to more than double in the next decade. These statistics necessitate organizations to become leaders in their community and highlight their commitment to persons with PD. 

Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network provides a full curriculum of PD education. Our training is designed to prepare, empower and motivate site staff with ongoing support from PD experts. We help organizations develop and maintain best practices in PD care.
Joan Gardner, RN, BSN
Program Manager -
 Parkinson’s Center of Excellence
Struthers Parkinson’s Center
Rose Wichmann, PT
Director of Parkinson’s Programs
Struthers Parkinson’s Center
LETTER FROM THE SPCN DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Parkinson’s disease is currently the fastest growing neurodegenerative disease in the world. PD symptoms are complex and impact many aspects of an individual’s life. As Parkinson’s advances, many people seek the services of home care or senior living communities. Most of these agencies/organizations have very limited knowledge about Parkinson’s disease and the important considerations to provide best care.

Eight years ago, we embarked on a journey to provide inclusive, sustainable and collaborative educational opportunities through the Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network (SPCN). The continued growth of SPCN speaks to the need for this important education.
Joan Gardner, RN, BSN
Program Manager
Center of Excellence Programs
Struthers Parkinson’s Center
Rose Wichmann, PT
Director of Parkinson’s Programs
Struthers Parkinson’s Center
Park Nicollet and HealthPartners
Over the past year, the network has continued to expand and now includes over 100 member sites in 13 US states with one site now in Canada! We are proud to include members of individual senior communities/franchise agencies as well as full corporate networks who have chosen to enroll all their building sites into Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network.

Our outcomes focus on improvements in staff knowledge/confidence in working with those with Parkinson’s, timeliness of PD medication administration, and client/family satisfaction with services provided by each network member site. We are proud to hear stories of greater PD understanding from a wide variety of staff, including administrators, direct care providers, dietary staff, front line, housekeeping and maintenance workers, all who touch the lives of those living with Parkinson’s on a daily basis.
Much work remains to be done. We thank our dedicated members, site champions, network supporters and funders who make this important work possible, and we look forward to continued growth and expansion of SPCN in the coming year.
Best wishes,

Joan Gardner RN & Rose Wichmann PT
Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network Development Team
STRUTHERS PARKINSON’S CARE NETWORK MEMBERS
Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network is comprised of senior residential communities and home care agencies who have made a commitment to improve care and provide support to people living with Parkinson’s and their families. Network members provide ongoing staff education and resources using the nationally recognized TULIPS program developed by Struthers Parkinson’s Center, participating in a collaborative multistate network.

BY THE NUMBERS – 2020

SPCN Members

US States with SPCN Sites

Total Site Champions Trained

Total Health Professionals Attended SPC Conferences

Completed SPCN 
Online Training

Goals, Benefits, and Fees

Goals of Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network are to:

  • Develop an ongoing program of training, education and care guidelines for professionals and all staff who provide services to persons with Parkinson’s disease and their families
  • ​Build sustainable, collaborative relationships with high quality organizations that are committed to maintaining identified standards of Parkinson’s education for all staff
  • ​Work with participating sites to document the impact of program on staff, patient and caregiver satisfaction
  • ​Increase awareness of Parkinson’s resources in program development and ongoing support
  • ​Share outcomes and provide recognition to facilities that have made a commitment to improve care for clients living with Parkinson’s disease and related movement disorders

Annual Network Membership Benefits include:

  • Training for 2 site champions from each organization to act as on-site trainers/resources (Typical course length 2-3 days)
  • ​Online training curriculum and experiential activity training
  • ​Professional conference registrations for nursing (RN or LPN), Rehab therapists (PT, OT, SP), social worker, activities professionals, and fitness/ exercise instructors.
  • ​Regular access to additional educational supplements through webinars/other resources offered through the network.
  • ​Access to membership networking/updates through regularly scheduled conference calls
  • ​Inclusion of member information within SPCN’s written and online location listings
  • ​Notification of SPCN membership to patients/families contacting Struthers Parkinson’s Center and other local/regional PD organizations regarding information on options for home care/residential care services.
  • ​Outcome data reports
  • ​Twice yearly on- site visits / contacts from member(s) of the SPCN Development Team.
  • ​Optional support group facilitator training, (held annually at Struthers Parkinson’s Center in Golden Valley MN)
  • ​Options for community education/ outreach events with speakers from Struthers Parkinson’s Center (date/time/format to be determined by each member in collaboration with SPC staff)
  • ​Listing of SPCN members in any presentations/posters/exhibits done by SPC staff to professional organizations, associations or conferences.

Annual Membership Fees

Annual membership fees apply based on each site’s size, licensure and geographic location – some organizations may qualify for a subsidized membership fee.

Award-Winning Online Curriculum

Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network members have free access to our award-winning online staff training program.

Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network members have free 
access to our award-winning online staff training program.

Jenna Boys
MEET A SITE CHAMPION
Jenna is a nurse at All Saints Senior Living in Shakopee, MN, and has been a site champion for the Struthers Parkinson’s Care Network for over five years. In addition to her work to improve care of her PD residents, Jenna has gone “above and beyond” by raising PD community awareness in the city of Shakopee. She has organized PD fundraisers through tulips sales and community pancake breakfasts and pasta dinners. The proceeds raised from these events are donated to Struthers Parkinson’s Center.

Jenna has not only involved her workplace in these efforts but has also mobilized her entire family, working selflessly to produce a successful event each year in memory of her father, who was diagnosed with an atypical form of Parkinson’s disease. This year, she also launched a Parkinson’s support group at the Shakopee Senior Center.

MEET A CORPORATE MEMBER

“We entered into this partnership because we increasingly are seeing more people with Parkinson’s disease move into our communities. By working with Struthers, we can provide residents with Parkinson-specific exercise classes, support groups, etc. and all staff with additional education about Parkinson’s that exceeds state-required training. Being a Care Network member also enhances our community outreach and marketing opportunities and underscores how we are a leader in Parkinson’s care.”

— Wendy Schrag, RN-BC, Touchmark Vice President of Clinical Services

OTHER MEMBER TESTIMONIALS

“We are grateful for our partnership with the Struthers Parkinson's Care Network. The highly qualified and engaging educational leadership team is helping us create a more Parkinson-friendly community. Our care partners and parkinsonians take great comfort in knowing we have facilities and home health care agencies that understand PD in depth. Entering into our third year of working together, Struthers has been a trusted source for elevating our presence in the community.”

Linda Goldfield
Executive Director
Parkinson Association of Southwest Florida

“We are so grateful for the partnership with Struthers Parkinson's Care Network. Walker Methodist has made a commitment to provide high quality care to the residents who struggle with Parkinson's in all of our buildings. The Struthers Parkinson's Care Network has partnered with us as we strive toward consistency throughout all of our sites. The education that is provided to every member of our staff through the Parkinson's modules, the Champion training and specific role training has had a marked impact on the way our residents are cared for. The accountability structure that is a part of the Struthers organization has been so helpful in highlighting the areas where improvement is needed, as well as illustrating the progress that is made throughout the organization. We could not be where we are today, in terms of Parkinson's care, without the partnership of the team at Struthers Parkinson's Care Network.”

Christine Kelly
Director of Clinical Programming 
Walker Methodist

FUNDERS AND SUPPORTERS

Struthers Parkinson's Care Network | All Rights Reserved | Copyright ® 2020