Stony Brook Medicine Receives Grant to Enhance Parkinson’s Care and Support Services

Stony Brook Medicine's Parkinson's Centers, which include the Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center at Stony Brook University Hospital (SBUH) and the Center of Parkinson's Disease at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital (SBSH), are the recipients of a two-year Information and Referral Center Innovative Project Award totaling $150,000 from the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA). This national grant recognizes Stony Brook Medicine's commitment to advancing innovative, community-centered care for people living with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their care partners.

"This award reflects the incredible dedication and innovation of our teams," said Dr. Guy Schwartz, director of the Stony Brook Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center and the medical director for grant programming. "We currently support over 600 patients annually, and this funding allows us to broaden our reach, strengthen partnerships and deliver meaningful support to individuals and families affected by Parkinson's across Long Island and beyond."

Parkinson's is the second-most common neurodegenerative disease after Alzheimer's disease, with men 1.5 times more likely to have PD than women. While the incidence of PD increases with age, an estimated 4 percent of people with PD are diagnosed before age 50. The American Parkinson Disease Association approximates that there are 1 million people in the United States living with PD and that 90,000 people are diagnosed each year.

"Stony Brook Southampton Hospital's Center for Parkinson's Disease has annually served approximately 350 participants in person and more than 1,000 participants virtually," said Sarah Cohen, administrator of the center. "This level of participation underscores the growing regional demand for accessible programs, education and support."

The APDA has continuously funded programs through SBSH and SBUH centers since 2018, including:

• Sing Loud for PD, a weekly SBSH virtual group attracting over 100 PD singers each week from 43 states and nine countries;
• Paint at the Parrish Art Museum (Watermill, LI), a SBSH arts program for those living with PD and their caregivers;
• A 2025 APDA-supported Care Partner Symposium at Stony Brook Southampton, attended by 33 PD care partners for a day of education, wellness and connection;
• A 2025 APDA Community Grant supporting the launch of an in-person PD exercise class near SBUH.

This new award will allow Stony Brook Medicine's interdisciplinary Parkinson's teams to grow programs, expand care partner services, reinforce clinical-community integration across the region, enhance outreach, add additional classes to SBSH's programs and further deepen Stony Brook Medicine's partnership with HOPEFitness, an independent organization dedicated to making fitness accessible for all abilities.