Parkinson’s Foundation Hosts Professional Education Training in Boston

Joint Collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital

NEW YORK & MIAMI (November 14, 2019) — The Parkinson’s Foundation announced the spring location of its biannual signature professional education course, Allied Team Training for Parkinson’s, ATTP® in Boston, MA from April 1-4, 2020. The interdisciplinary course for healthcare professionals treating patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) is provided in a joint collaboration between Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Massachusetts General Hospital, both designated Parkinson’s Foundation Centers of Excellence.

“ATTP is a unique training program we offer at the Foundation as it targets an extensive list of disciplines involved in the care of people with PD and focuses on how these health professionals can work together as a team to improve the lives of people with Parkinson’s and their families,” said Eli Pollard, Vice President, Chief Training & Education Officer at the Parkinson's Foundation.

Designed to increase knowledge about PD and build capacity for comprehensive interprofessional care in the treatment of the disease, more than 2,300 health professionals have attended ATTP since the program started.  ATTP helps health professionals from diverse disciplines learn the best techniques in PD care through a dynamic team-based approach. The course is designed for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, speech language therapists, physical therapists, music therapists and social workers. The ATTP faculty consists of an interdisciplinary faculty of senior movement disorder specialists.

“As two Parkinson’s Foundation Centers of Excellence in the Boston area, partnering with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center to host ATTP will provide both organizations with a chance to address the importance of patient-centered, team care for people with PD and expand our networks of health professionals in the region,” said Albert Hung, MD, PhD, Associate Director, Massachusetts General Hospital Movement Disorders Unit and Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School.

The interactive course features a combination of online pre-requisites and an intensive in-person curriculum including CME/CEU credit. The training includes interactive case presentations, care planning with people with Parkinson’s and caregivers, discipline specific breakout sessions, interdisciplinary team development sessions, patient and caregiver panels and individual and team planning for linking back to the workplace.

“We were delighted to accept this opportunity to join a collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital to host the Parkinson’s Foundation signature interdisciplinary training program,” said David K. Simon, MD, PhD, Professor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School.

Alumni of the ATTP program will be qualified to attend the first ever advanced ATTP program, ATTP Cognition, hosted by the University of California San Diego on July 31 & August 1, 2020. The program, offered exclusively to ATTP alumni, will address cognition in Parkinson’s disease as a two-day intensive training. Registration will open in March of 2020.

ATTP is part of the Parkinson’s Foundation professional educational offerings including Physical Therapy Faculty Program, The Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Faculty Program, webinars and online courses. For more information, visit Parkinson.org/ProfessionalEducation.

To learn more, or to view a full ATTP program agenda, visit Parkinson.org/ATTP.