A Medical Device Daily

The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF; Miami) has been awarded its fourth grant from the Medtronic Foundation (Minneapolis) Patient Link program to address health disparities in Parkinson's disease (PD). Medtronic Foundation funding for the National Parkinson Care Network (NPCN), a national outreach program of NPF, totals nearly $1 million.

Since its inception, NPCN has reached more than 3 million consumers with information about the signs of Parkinson's disease and available community resources, educated more than 5,000 healthcare workers and offered expert opinion on Parkinson's topics through media venues.

Through NPCN, NPF Centers across the nation have been trained in effective strategies for cultural competence, outreach and building community partnerships with diverse, urban and rural, medically underserved communities.

"NPF is proud of our longstanding partnership with Medtronic and our joint commitment to reaching underserved communities," said Joyce Oberdorf, NPF President/CEO. "The strategies developed through this partnership have served as national models, as we continue to explore new ways to leverage community networks to reach Parkinson's patients, their families, and the healthcare professionals who treat them."