The UNC Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence team recently brought its interdisciplinary Parkinson’s disease training to Fayetteville, North Carolina, in partnership with Southern Regional AHEC. Led by Dr. Nina Browner and Ms. Maggie Ivancic, the team delivered an engaging eight-hour course designed to equip clinicians with practical, evidence-based strategies to improve care for people living with Parkinson’s disease.
The program combined expert-led teaching with interactive discussion, focusing on real-world challenges faced by providers in rural and underserved communities. Participants explored team-based approaches to care, communication across disciplines, and strategies to optimize outcomes for patients closer to home. The course also offered CEU and CME credits, continuing UNC’s commitment to professional education across the state.
This training is part of a broader, ten-year effort that has already reached more than 300 healthcare professionals across North Carolina, including in the Southeastern, Mountain, and Eastern regions. Through these efforts, UNC continues to build a strong, connected network of clinicians trained in Parkinson’s-specific care.
Importantly, this work feeds directly into the ParkNC initiative—a statewide referral network that connects patients with specially trained physical, occupational, and speech therapists, along with other Parkinson’s-focused resources. By growing this network, the UNC team is helping ensure that individuals with Parkinson’s disease can access high-quality, specialized care right in their own communities.
