Hauenstein Parkinson's Center
The Patient Care Model
Because Parkinson’s affect patients and their families
– and the communities in which they function –
in many different ways, a multidisciplinary approach to treatment
and care has been determined to be most effective. As in other
Saint Mary’s centers of excellence, such as cancer and
diabetes, the model envisions the patient in the center of
a team of providers who work together to address physical,
mental, and spiritual needs. The model addresses the body
not as a home for symptoms, but as a combination of many complex
systems, each with different needs. Finally, this model of
integrated medicine is more convenient and efficient for the
patient.
Benefits to Patients
A significant additional benefit is the opportunity for measurably
improved outcomes because all providers, working in one site,
communicate with each other in real time to develop appropriate
treatment plans. At the end of a day of evaluation by several
specialists, patients would be provided with a summary of
opinions. Treatment would include, but not be limited to,
initial evaluation, consultation, treatment, medical management,
counseling, support groups, and education for patients and
their families. A tentative list of providers would include
the following, in a configuration in which they surround the
patient to provide coordinated care for all symptoms.
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