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Evergreen plans Parkinson's treatment center Wednesday, May 12, 1999 By James Klockow Journal Reporter KIRKLAND -- Evergreen Hospital is poised to create a regional center for the treatment of Parkinson's disease in a venture they say could be a money loser for years. Insurance coverage for the treatment of Parkinson's patients is generally poor, and there is a lack of expertise in the Northwest, according to the hospital. That's one reason such a center would be expected to run in the red. `` We are looking at a clinical operation that will not pay for itself,'' said Lynn Hagerman, Evergreen's vice president for program development. But the service is badly needed. `` People travel all over the country for Parkinson's care,'' she said. Initial analysis by Evergreen suggests that startup costs for the center would be around $600,000, but the center could lose as much as $579,000 in its first year to $355,000 in its third. The Northwest Parkinson's Foundation, which brought the idea to Evergreen, has pledged $300,000 toward operating the center, which would be unique in the Northwest. The foundation has been looking for a clinical partner in the region and chose Evergreen first, according to the hospital. The proposed center would be modeled after one in Minneapolis, called the Struthers Center, and would have specialists in the disease on hand, rehabilitation therapies, patient and family education and research. An estimated 50,000 people in the Puget Sound region have the disease, including former Gov. Booth Gardner, who is on the foundation board. Former Gov. Dan Evans is also on the board. Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurological disorder affecting learned voluntary movements such as walking, talking, writing and swallowing. The three main symptoms are tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement. It affects one of every 100 people over age 65. Evergreen Chief of Staff Dave Asmussen praised the hospital board's willingness to embark on a needed project that other organizations shy away from because it is not profitable. `` Everybody wants to do cancer, everybody wants to do this and that. It's nice to do something that nobody else wants to do,'' he said. The board could vote on the proposal at its regular meeting Monday, with the prospect of opening a center by the first quarter of 2000. Evergreen gets about 5 percent of its annual revenues from taxes paid by property owners in Kirkland, Redmond, Bothell, Kenmore, Woodinville and parts of unincorporated King County. The proposed center would have to compete for funding with other tax-supported programs when the hospital begins preparing its budget this summer. James Klockow covers Kirkland. He can be reached at 425-453-4629 or [log in to unmask] Bill Bell Executive Director Northwest Parkinson's Foundation 425-746-5556 / [log in to unmask] http://www.nwpf.org Bill Bell Executive Director Northwest Parkinson's Foundation 425-746-5556 / [log in to unmask] http://www.nwpf.org