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National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships

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Parkinson’s Foundation Partnership

VHA partnership assists Veterans diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease

Ms. Lou Graul Eisenbrandt was one of only 13 women aboard her Army-chartered flight to Chu Lai, Vietnam, in 1969. She, like many service members, had a limited understanding of the war as they deployed overseas—but quickly learned why they were needed once arriving on the ground. The registered nurse would treat everything from malaria to massive head traumas in the upcoming year at the 91st Evac Hospital.  

“I saw pretty much every injury you could imagine, and even survived some early morning rocket attacks,” said Ms. Eisenbrandt. “After coming home, I wanted to use my experiences to educate others.”

For the past 30 years, Ms. Eisenbrandt has been outspoken about her time as a female Veteran and has used her medical training to raise awareness about women’s health and child nutrition. She even wrote a book in 2015—“Vietnam Nurse: Mending and Remembering —which details how “a small town girl from Illinois decided to join the Army to help others and see the world.”

Her most recent advocacy, though, is more personal: Parkinson’s disease.

“I was diagnosed in 2003, and my first question was why?” said Ms. Eisenbrandt. “I couldn’t even say the word ‘Parkinson’s’ for nearly a week after my diagnosis because it was so scary. I didn’t go through denial—I went through depression.”

Today, Ms. Eisenbrandt is a steadfast champion for the Parkinson’s Foundation and routinely leads discussions about the disease. The nonprofit is an international organization focused on caring for individuals diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

In 2020, VHA created a partnership with the Parkinson’s Foundation to promote access to more resources and better care for Veterans who are diagnosed with the chronic neurological disease. Parkinson’s Foundation’s digital resources, training materials, and online forums are raising awareness among health care professionals who treat Veterans, both inside and outside the VA health system. The resources also help strengthen work being done at the six VHA Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Centers (PADRECCs) and 51 affiliated Consortium Centers across the country.

“Partnerships like the one between Parkinson’s Foundation and VHA play an extremely important role in caring for Veterans diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease because it amplifies the services VHA provides and reaches Veterans who are not currently enrolled with VA for their care,” said Dr. Tracy L. Weistreich, nurse executive for VHA’s National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP, formerly OCE), which facilitated this collaboration.

“As we prepare to observe Parkinson’s Awareness Month this April, we will engage in future partnerships to benefit Veterans faced with battling a wide variety of diagnoses.”

For more information on HAP’s work or to contact HAP for partnership opportunities, please visit: VA.gov/healthpartnerships. To learn more about the PADRECCs, Consortium Centers, and Parkinson’s disease care available through VA, visit parkinsons.va.gov.

External Link Disclaimer: This page contains links that will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.

Posted March 29, 2021