Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers

The NW PADRECC clinical staff is a multidisciplinary team that includes neurologists, nurses, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists, research assistants, and social workers. The staff at the NW PADRECC provides individualized, comprehensive care to Veterans with Parkinson's disease and other movement disorders.

Our clinic meets weekly and offers comprehensive neurological evaluations, diagnosis, and treatment of movement disorders, eligibility assessment for deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, treatment for restless leg syndrome, and patient and family education. The staff works to optimize treatment and to promote healthy lifestyles for Veterans.

We also evaluate and treat Veterans who may require botulinum toxin injections for conditions such as dystonia, hemi-facial spasm, blepherospasm, spasticity, and other indications requiring injections.

Diagnoses commonly treated in the NW PADRECC clinics include Parkinson's disease, Parkinsonism, essential tremor, restless leg syndrome, dystonia, Huntington's disease, and atypical Parkinsonian disorders such as progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and Corticobasal degeneration (CBD).

Referral

We have specialty clinics in Portland and Seattle.  Your VA primary care provider (PCP) or neurologist can refer you by submitting an inter-facility consult for "movement disorders".  Physicians outside the VA may refer a patient through our Access and Referral line.  Veterans must be enrolled in the VA health care system in order to receive care with the NW PADRECC (please see link below).

After a referral is received and assessed as appropriate for the Movement Disorders Clinic, the PADRECC clinical coordinator reviews the information to schedule a new patient appointment, usually within six to eight weeks of the received referral.
 

What to Expect

At the initial appointment, each patient meets with a neurologist for diagnosis, information regarding his/her movement disorder, treatment options, and if appropriate, educational material for the patient and caregiver or family members.  Follow-up appointments and meetings with our rehabilitation therapist and pharmacist are then scheduled as needed for medical management.  If the PADRECC is not the best option for care, the patient may then be referred to the appropriate medical program for an appointment.

Although patients may be asked to follow-up with the PADRECC for medical management, our goal is to return patients to their primary care physician or neurologist in the community.

VA Health Benefits Enrollment

VA e-Portal for All Veterans' Benefits

Physician Referral Instructions

Locate a PADRECC Consortium Center Near You  

Specialized Clinical Services

Surgical Treatments

Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)

Other Resources