The answers found in the SimplyStated section of this Web site are reviewed and approved by an Advisory Board of doctors, professionals, patients, and caregivers. This group of individuals was established and funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation as an educational service. It is intended to provide clear answers to the most often asked questions about this condition.
It should not be used in place of a physician's advice. You should speak with your doctor and other healthcare professionals before making any decision about your individual health.
Parkinson's Disease SimplyStated Advisory Board
Alexander Headley Krist, MD
Dr. Krist is a practicing family physician and Assistant Professor at Fairfax Family Practice in Fairfax, Virginia. He is the residency director of research, with a particular interest in patient education and preventive medicine. He is currently the principal investigator for several research projects studying the Internet as a tool for shared decision making.
Melinda Murray Ratini, DO, MS
Dr. Ratini is a practicing physician in Bristol, Pennsylvania, with extensive experience in patient education on the Web. She is board certified in Family Practice and Geriatrics. She also serves as a consultant/editor for the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.
Francis O. Walker, MD
Dr. Walker is a Professor in the Department of Neurology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He is the Director of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine Movement Disorders Clinic, Medical Director of the EMG Laboratory, and member of the Voice Disorders Center.
Michael Rezak, MD, PhD
Dr. Rezak is Director of the Movement Disorders Center and Director of Neurology at Glenbrook Hospital in Glenview, Illinois. He is also Director of the Movement Disorders Functional Neurosurgery Program and an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Rezak serves as the Medical Director for the American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) Young Parkinson's Information and Referral Center.
Rhonda Atkinson, PhD
Dr. Atkinson is an Assistant Professor at Central Missouri State University in
Warrensburg, Missouri. She is a literacy specialist who has developed curricula for low-literate readers. She was the curriculum writer for the Institute for Healthcare Advancement's Health Education Literacy Program (HELP) Curriculum, a literacy curriculum designed to integrate health into the reading lessons of ESL (English as a Second Language) students.
Tom Atkinson, PhD
Dr. Atkinson is an Associate Professor at Central Missouri State University in
Warrensburg, Missouri. He is an educational technologist who has developed software for nearly 25 years, including database applications, information kiosks, and multimedia Web-based instruction.
Susan Eno Collins, MS, CHES, RD
Ms. Collins is a Certified Health Education Specialist who develops patient education programs that meet the principles of health education and health literacy. She is Senior Director of Health Education at HealthEd, The Patient Education Agency, in Westfield, New Jersey.
Monique J is a patient with Parkinson's disease in New York.
Frank C is a patient with Parkinson's disease in Illinois.
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