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Mission Statement on Clinical Care
Our goal is delivery the highest quality of medical care in a thorough and compassionate approach. In addition, being an academic center, we have a mission to develop better treatments and eventually a cure for each movement disorder. This can only be accomplished with the help of our patients and their families. Together we will identify the earliest changes in the brain that result in involuntary movements, define genetic or environmental contributions to this process, test new therapies and improve the lives of people who have these problems.
At our Center, neurologists and nurses are movement disorder specialists who provide important experienced, compassionate clinical care. Our Center's expert clinicians teach other doctors about movement disorders and conduct basic science and clinical research studies, furthering our understanding of movement disorders. The first and most important role of our Center's clinicians is to always provide excellent care to our patients and family members. They take a long meticulous health history and ask you to complete a written history of your health. They observe the problems you are having and put the difficulties into perspective. As they examine you, they will begin to build "a picture" of the characteristics of the movement disorder you have. They consult with their colleagues in order to reach the correct diagnosis. You may be asked to give us written permission to videotape your movement disorder as a way to precisely record the problems you are having. Often "a picture is worth a thousand words." These clinicians will spend a major part of every visit teaching you and helping you understand your movement disorder. Together they will decide with you and your family the best possible therapy. In between visits, you are encouraged to call our clinicians to ask questions and report changes. We invite people with movement disorders and their family members to explore this website in a "virtual visit" and then decide if you would benefit from our years of experience and specialty focus. Our clinicians are academic neurologists who provide clinical care, conduct research and teach their specialty here at Columbia University and around the world.
We deliver care to all who need it, from heads of state, royalty, diplomats, professors, physicians and other professionals, artists, entertainers and ordinary people to those less financially fortunate. Our expert clinicians provide their time and services without charge to indigent people. Our Robert and John M. Bendheim Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Clinic, endowed by the Leon Lowenstein Foundation, fulfills this important need. Our trainees (movement disorder fellows) are funded by the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.They work with our experienced clinicians to become experts by the time they complete their fellowship.
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