Objective: The National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) has focused on meeting the needs in the care and treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Through the Centers of Excellence (COE) network, NPF is a community of professionals dedicated to improving clinical care in PD. The Mentoring and Networking Program was developed to provide current and prospective COE coordinators with information on NPF’s structure, operating procedures, resources, education and networking opportunities. It will be a venue to collaborate and enhance the field of PD.

Background: NPF’s structured and formal program will play an important role in helping these professionals to acquire skills, gain experience and increment productivity. This in turn, translates into more knowledgeable and proactive Center coordinators who will be able to better engage with team members, patients and families. Mentors/mentees are carefully matched by the Task Force based on characteristics of the population served, clinical setting and areas of interest to ensure that the learning experience is as focused and as broad as it needs to be. Through this program, NPF seeks to help COE coordinators get the professional guidance they need to succeed.

Methods: A multi-disciplinary task force consisting of 6 COE members and a representative of the NPF was established from applications sent out to all US Centers. The task force developed guidelines, applications, pre/post evaluations for the mentors/mentees, a global evaluation and a handbook of resources for Centers. Call for participation in Phase I of the program was sent to all COEs, and 4 mentors and 4 mentees were selected from 8 NPF Centers based on predetermined guidelines.

Results: Mentors and mentees participated in conference calls with the task force to review responsibilities. Mentors and mentees were then introduced to their pairs via telephone. Monthly contact for 6 months is the minimal requirement, though more frequent contact can be utilized based on needs and availability of the pairs. All completed the pre-evaluation survey. Ongoing evaluation, feedback and program analysis will be done at the conclusion of this phase, and further expansion will occur based on the initial feedback of the program.

Conclusions: We are encouraged by initial feedback that this new Mentoring and Networking Program will help current and future COE coordinators gain the resources needed to confidently interact with the PD community.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-national-parkinson-foundation-mentoring-and-networking-program-phase-i-the-process/