Gilbert-based Banner Neuro Wellness, which has been serving people with mobility issues since 2012, is expanding.
In addition to the wellness center, a gym and insurance-based therapy services have also been added. The new space joins an existing facility in the Heritage Court building, Suite 201. Previously, Art Intersection’s gallery occupied the space.
“We wanted to improve the quality of life for people with Parkinson’s and mobility disorders,” says Annette Klusi, associate director of outreach. “As we expanded and began serving more people, we needed a larger space, but at the same time, we wanted to be a comprehensive solution for people with Parkinson’s and mobility disorders.”
The centre’s director said the centre is always striving to improve its services.
“We kept asking ourselves, ‘What else do we need?'” Kluj explains. “Having a clinic that can do these things and transitioning patients from wellness to individualized care seemed like the best model for them. It’s all under one roof so patients can continue to do what they do best.”
The new space will include a gym, boxing area, floor space or rooms for yoga, dance, physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and more.
The acclaimed wellness center offers exercise, art, social events, support groups and presentations for people suffering from movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, dystonia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease.
About 140 people use the service, who attend two to five days a week. No health insurance is required to use the wellness center, and no one is required to join the Banner network.
The two areas are staffed with a total of 13 staff members, including certified exercise physiologists and therapists.
Treatment appointments will be one-on-one and more intensive, taking place several days a week depending on symptoms, Kluj said.
The center was established through a partnership between Banner Health and the Fitzgerald Family Fund, owned by Gilbert philanthropists Alan and Sheila Fitzgerald.
“We continue to provide financial support to Parkinson’s disease wellness programs at Banner Health and other institutions,” Fitzgerald said.
“Our involvement in programs to support people with Parkinson’s disease was inspired by the experience of Sheila Fitzgerald, who was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease at age 39.”
Annette Klusi has overseen Banner Neuro Wellness since its inception in 2012. (Srianti Perera/Contributor)
The majority of patients are over 60, but Dr Kluszy has seen patients in their 50s, and early onset of the disease is thought to be in the 40s.
“The aging process is something we have to keep a close eye on. People often ask, ‘Is it Parkinson’s or is it age?’ They put off treatment and it can take a long time to diagnose,” Kluj said. “People assume that everyone with Parkinson’s has tremors, but that’s not true. Some people don’t have tremors.”
Stiffness and balance problems may be symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and even if medication is prescribed after diagnosis, it only relieves the symptoms, not cures the disease.
“Medications can help ease symptoms and help patients tolerate exercise, and exercise needs to be disease-specific,” Kluj said.
“If you want to get results, if you want to improve your balance, your gait, your flexibility, you have to exercise,” she added.
Kluj’s background is in vocational rehabilitation, which aims to keep people active and engaged for as long as possible. “I feel like I’m really using these skills to help people stay engaged in their lives,” she said.
When the center was being established, Kluj said he wasn’t sure whether local residents would be on board.
“The community has really been supportive,” she says, “and we’ve had people from all over the country come to see what we’re doing because they want to model our model of care.”
Kluj said there is no other facility in the country with such a comprehensive program that includes social workers, retreat services, exercise physiologists, dance, music, speaking groups, support groups for caregiving partners and therapy.
“We strive to be a one-stop shop for people suffering from neurodegenerative movement disorders,” she said.
Ms Fitzgerald said Sheila continues to regularly attend the centre’s wellness programmes, which are helping her overcome the physical challenges caused by Parkinson’s disease.
Banner Health and the Fitzgerald Family Foundation remain committed to creating an environment that meets the needs of the Phoenix area’s Parkinson’s disease community, Kluj added.
But the center isn’t satisfied with the status quo: Transportation to and from the facility is a necessary service, as most patients can’t drive and must rely on care partners or ride-pool services to get around.
However, using a chauffeur may not be practical because the chauffeur cannot help the patient out of the car.
One of the things that can be improved is having the services of a movement disorder neurologist so that patients can get all the services here instead of having to travel to a doctor’s office for an appointment.
“That’s in the five-year business plan,” Kluj said.
Banner Neuro Wellness is located at 207 N. Gilbert Road. Contact: 480-827-5800.
