Parkinson’s Foundation California makes life better for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) by improving care and advancing research towards a cure. Whether you are newly diagnosed with PD or have been managing it for years, are a care partner, family member or friend of someone with PD, we are here to help you.
We are leaders in ensuring expert Parkinson’s care, educating and empowering the Parkinson’s community and driving the understanding of Parkinson’s through research. As a national organization with local presence and impact, we bring help and hope to the estimated one million people in the U.S., 10 million worldwide, who are living with Parkinson’s.
Our Impact
Your support of the Parkinson’s Foundation California Chapter makes a big impact on the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) right here in your community, as well as across the country and around the world!
The Hospital Safety Guide contains useful tools and information to help a person with Parkinson's during their next planned or unplanned hospital visit.
The Helpline answers more than 20,000 calls a year
Call our Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (473-4636) to find your nearest PD specialist or local resources and get answers to your PD and caregiving questions.
The Parkinson’s Foundation Community Grants program supports programs that further the health, wellness and education of the Parkinson’s community. We help people with Parkinson’s live better lives, today.
In the 2023 grant cycle, we awarded 12 local grants to community programs. These Community Grants are made possible through the support of donors.
*Precision Rehabilitation’s Parkinson’s Wellness Grant, Christy Malonzo Physical Therapist Inc. and Manjiri Dahdul Physical Therapist Inc., Long Beach, CA
Contact: Manjiri Dahdul, manjiridahdul@gmail.com, precisionrehabilitation.com
re+integrate, re+active physical therapy and wellness, Torrance, CA
Contact: Julie Hersberg, info@re-activept.com, reactivept.com
Promotoras y Embajadoras de Parkinson - Parkinson’s Promotors and Ambassadors 2023, Give for a Smile, Garden Grove, CA
Contact: Adriana Jimenez, ajimenez@giveforasmile.org, parkinson-gfas.org
Dance for People With Parkinson’s, San Francisco Ballet Association, San Francisco, CA
Contact: Elizabeth Luu, eluu@sfballet.org, sfballet.org
Compassion Training for Caregivers and Creative Exercise Programming, Adaptive Physical Education, Redwood City, CA
Contact: Barbara McCarthy, info@adaptivepevmsc.org, adaptivepevmsc.org
dNaga’s Dance for PD®, Oakland 2023-24, dNaga, Oakland, CA
Contact: Claudine Naganuma, dNaganoodle@gmail.com, dNaga.org
**It Takes a Village: Parkinson’s Disease Educational Program for the San Francisco Bay Area Latinx and African American Communities, The Regents of the University of California, San Francisco, CA
Contact: Jill Ostrem, Jill.Ostrem@ucsf.edu, movementdisorders.ucsf.edu
Sharp Grossmont Hospital: Group Exercise and Education Class for Newly Diagnosed People with Parkinson’s, Grossmont Hospital Foundation, La Mesa, CA
Contact: Kate Wayne, kate.wayne@sharp.com, sharp.com/contact-us
Music Therapy for Mental Health: A Community Collaborative Program for People with Parkinson’s and Their Care Partners, Sounding Joy Music Therapy, Inc., Honolulu, HI
Contact: Maria (Nina) Guerrero, sounding@soundingjoymt.org, soundingjoymt.org
PD Power Up: A Parkinson’s Disease Pain Management Program, BEYONDREHAB, PLLC, Honolulu, HI
Contact: Apurva Zawar, apurva@beyondrehab.health, beyondrehab.health
Our Chapter Board ensures our impact is community-based and community lead.
Executive Committee
Megan Gomez, PhD - Board President
Clinical Psychologist
Tibor Rubin Medical Center
Long Beach, CA
Dr. Megan Gomez is a Staff Psychologist at the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center in Long Beach, CA. She provides psychological assessment and treatmentinterventions to Veteran’s enrolled in the Home Based Primary Care program, and also provides psychology support to their family caregivers. She works primarily with Veterans over the age of 65 that have chronic and complex medical and psychological conditions. Dr. Gomez completed her post-doctoral training at USC Keck School of Medicine neurology dept where she was part of a research team investigating impact of physical exercise and social engagement on cognition for people with Parkinson’s. She was hired at the VA Long Beach in 2015, and developed the Parkinson’s Support Group in 2016. She continues to facilitate this group on a bi-weekly basis. She is on the Board of Advisors for the Parkinson’s Foundation California Chapter. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, 6-y/o daughter and 2-y/o son.
Board Members
Somil Bhusan - MPH, Medical Assistant, Mission & Outreach Committee Chair Dylan James -VP and Head of Western Region Relationship Management at Nasdaq Vikas Chinnan - Operations Manager Deka Dike - CEO & Founder, Omatochi Debbie Lucchesi - Personal Trainer, Cycle Instructor Maureen McComsey - Social Impact Strategist, Momentum for Good Craig Miyamoto - Financial Advisor & Principal with Edward Jones Freddy Silva - Head Coach and Affiliate Owner, Rock Steady Boxing Jessica Tax - Owner of Move Up Health & Fitness, Rock Steady Boxing Coach Derek Torry - Former VP/Group Director, Russ Reid Company Lisa Inselman - Co-Founder and President at Fisch 4 Parkinson's Jeff Bell - Former KCBS Radio News Anchor Steve Fischlin - Former Director of Merchandising, The Raley's Companies