Serving KS, NE, IA, MO
Set this as my local chapterParkinson’s Foundation Heartland 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.
Your support of the Parkinson’s Foundation Heartland 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!
Read more about our impact in the Heartland Chapter
Thanks to supporters like you, we are able to provide free resources and advance research toward a cure.
Find Expert Care
Access to care professionals, medications and services
Parkinson’s Foundation Global Care Network creates more opportunities for people with PD to access high-quality care.
Aware in Care Kit
Advocate for your best care
The Aware in Care Hospital Kit gives people with PD tools and information to share with hospital staff during a planned or emergency hospital visit.
Helpline
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.
PD Library
We are your trusted ally for information at every stage
We offer resources including videos, podcasts, webinars and other opportunities to learn about the many aspects of living well with PD.
Progress towards new medicines, better therapies and eventually a cure relies, almost exclusively, on innovative, high-quality research.
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 2021 grant cycle, we awarded 14 local grants to community programs. These Community Grants are made possible through the support of donors.
Learn more about the Parkinson’s Foundation Community Grants program, including application information, deadlines and more.
913-416-4116
Heartland@Parkinson.org
Parkinson’s Foundation
ATTN: Heartland
200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800
Miami, FL 33131
Visit our Kansas City Office
13451 Briar Street, Suite 202
Leawood, KS 66209
Our Advisory Board ensures our impact is community based and community lead.
Brian Reetz – President
Communications at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Brian joined the advisory board of the Heartland Chapter in 2020. Brian works at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in communications and lives with his dog, Ozzie. “My mom was diagnosed with Parkinson’s more than 20 years ago. One of the programs that got me more involved was the Moving Day of 2020. It catapulted me to want to do more. I took part in the Champions@Home program in 2020, I’ve hosted a cornhole tournament, a virtual brewery tour and tasting in the spring of 2021 for the Champions program, and in 2022 I’ve taken part in Revolution and Jog60!”
Joe Dunn
Co-chair of Reach Further Campaign, Heartland Chapter
Joe is the managing partner of Dunn REI, an investment fund active in privately syndicated commercial real estate investments. Since 2012, the fund has invested in more than 25 value-add and opportunistic deals exceeding $1B in total value.
Jim Eisenbrandt
Retired Trial Lawyer, Berkowitz Olive LLP, and full-time caregiver to Lou
Jim practiced law in the greater Kansas City area for 50 years. He was a trial lawyer representing individuals and businesses throughout the United States. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers (retired) as well as a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (Emeritus status). Their daughter Jen is married to Matt Christensen. They are both wonderful teachers and parents of their grandchildren Will and Emma. Their son Matt is married to Gen Hillsburg. Both are lawyers and live in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Golf is Jim’s addiction and he is learning to garden.
Lou Eisenbrandt
Lou is a retired Army nurse who served in Vietnam during the war. She developed Parkinson’s 20 years ago as a result of exposure to agent orange. Lou has been sharing her story to groups of students, Veterans, and service organizations for years. In 2015, she published a book titled “Vietnam Nurse: Mending and Remembering” about her year in Vietnam. In April 2022, she published her second book about living with Parkinson’s titled “Unsteady as She Goes: Battling Parkinson’s after Vietnam”. Lou and her husband Jim have two adult children and two grandchildren. Her passions are traveling, golf, and gardening.
Greg Foster
Director, National Accounts at U.S. Cellular
Greg is a business development, Sales and marketing expert with success in developing new business and in driving sales performance in existing channels. Greg has been a member of the Heartland Advisory Board since 2017 and served as the Board President last year.
Sarah Freyman
Lead Account Executive @ Classy.org
Sarah lives in Kansas City, Missouri and loves supporting non-profits (especially the Parkinson's Foundation)! “My dad has been living with Parkinson's for the past 5+ years and we are hoping for a cure one day soon.” Sarah loves to travel, to spend time with friends & family (and her dog) and brunching! Sarah also serves as a co-chair of the Reach Further Campaign for the Heartland Chapter.
Kirk Gutekunst
Sales, Product and Operations Business Executive at Joshu
Kirk is head of Sales for Joshu Inc., an Insurtech digital distribution company. He joined the Parkinson’s Board in 2007 as a result of his father being diagnosed with PD in 2005. “We are blessed to have the Parkinson’s Foundation in our lives as it has provided us access to education and a network of resources to improve the quality of life for my father.” Kirk enjoys spending time with family and following his son and daughter’s activities. He also enjoys golf and fishing as time allows.
John Harthoorn
John is from Watkins, Iowa and though he is retired from farming, he still runs his own business and stays busy with cycling; he is an ultra-cyclist and an advocate for our Parkinson’s Revolution event. Diagnosed about 5 years ago, movement is key to John’s life and he is happy to help spread the mission while enjoying family time and LONG bike rides.
Brian Moore
Interim President & CEO, St. Luke’s Foundation
As a fundraiser, Brian has extensive experience in major gift work, capital campaigns and government/grant relations. Prior to healthcare, Brian’s work was centered around higher education, and specifically creating opportunities for first generation college students. Brian and his wife Karen are Midtown KC residents.
Muhammad Nashatizadeh, M.D.
Clinical Associate Professor, Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Center at University of Kansas Medical Center
Known as Dr. Muhammad by patients, he earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his neurology residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center. After serving as chief resident, he completed a movement disorder fellowship training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, then returned to Kansas City in 2008.
Dr. Muhammad works full-time as the neurology attending physician staffing the inpatient neurology consultation service at KU Medical Center. He also educates neurology residents, internal medicine residents and medical students with an emphasis on understanding how systemic medical disease can affect patients neurologically.
Erin Neal, BSW
Client Care Consultant, TheKey
Erin lives in Lincoln, Nebraska where over the past 10 years, has helped hundreds of families navigate the aging process through her work at TheKey, a home care agency specializing in Parkinson's Care. She has been an active volunteer with the Heartland Chapter since 2020 and recently founded a volunteer group dedicated to bringing education and local Parkinson's resources to Lincolnites. Erin is originally from St. Charles, Missouri and enjoys spending time with her husband, two dogs, traveling and attending country concerts.
Cheri Prince
Director, Heartland Neurological Therapy and Wellness Center
Cheri Prince, DPT is a Physical Therapist and Director of Heartland Neurologic Therapy and Wellness Center in Waterloo, NE. She received her Doctorate degree in Physical Therapy from Creighton University in 1999. Her clinical interests lie in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease and she holds certifications in LSVT BIG, PWR! (Parkinson's Wellness Recovery), and has completed the Allied Team Training for Parkinson's through the Parkinson's Foundation.
Betsy Reynolds, PharmD
Director of Pharmacy Consulting, Method Healthcare, LLC
Betsy started the Pharmacy Consulting division of Method Healthcare, LLC in October of 2019. This role includes exploring safer transitions of care, facilitating antibiotic stewardship, managing the use of psychotropics as well as other clinical services. In addition to skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, Betsy also provides consulting services to multiple ambulatory surgery centers in the Kansas City metro. She is currently a preceptor for both the KU and UMKC School of Pharmacy and serves on the UMKC School of Pharmacy Foundation.