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Hi fellow PWPs and others: I would like to add my comments to those of David Meigs a few days ago, in appreciation of the new Booth Garnder Parkinson's Care Center at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland, Washington, just across the lake from Seattle. I drive 90 miles from Bellingham to take advantage of this great regional resource for Parkinson's patients. When I arrived for a 9:00 a.m. appointment, I was seen first by a physician's assistant. I was diagnosed iin 1998 but this was my first trip to the BGPCC. Sierra, the PA, interviewed me for 20-25 minutes, going over in detail symptoms, responses to medications, medical history--but primarily a very careful appraisal of my current condition, including the more or less standard observations of walking, turning, finger pinches, reflexes, etc. I felt "well observed" and understood. Sierra then consulted elsewhere with the BGPCC neurologist, Dr. Monique Giroux, who came in and spent another 10-15 minutes with me, questioning, listening, observing, and then suggesting a slight alteration in medication regimine and an upward titration of the agonist I am taking. I have a follow-up in 2 months so that we can assess results. Dr. Giroux let me know about the other resources available at the BGPCC, including physical therapy, speech therapy, and other offerings. It definitely feels like a team approach that is collaborative and patient-centered. They also seem "happy" (hmm, not quite the right word) to be getting a mixture of young onsets and older patients, and I think the staff believes in what they are doing--they seem dedicated and genuinely enthusiastic! I encourage any PWPs in the Northwest to contact the BGPCC and find out more about their services. Their web address is http://www.nwpf.org/facil/facilities.html. Rick Hermann dx 1998, current age 49