The post Advocacy Groups Hold Briefing on S. 849 appeared first on Parkinson's Action Network.
The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) joined the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and 10 other patient advocacy groups on Capitol Hill this week to educate Senators and their staff on the Advancing Research for Neurological Diseases Act (S. 849).
The bill, which currently has 13 co-sponsors in the Senate, would create a national data collection system for neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The system will collect information on the incidence and prevalence of neurological diseases and support a wide range of research initiatives, allow for future planning of healthcare needs, and promote disease education about neurological diseases. Read this fact sheet for more on the bill.
PAN’s Maryland Assistant State Director Mary Lou Cumberpatch offered her perspective of a person living with Parkinson’s disease and called on more Senators to support this bill as an “invaluable tool to speed up treatments and a cure.”
Mary Lou was joined by Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA), who were the original co-sponsors of the bill. Both Senators called on their colleagues and staff in the room to support this legislation.
Sen. Murphy called the bill a wise investment and Sen. Isakson characterized the bill as fundamentally about “saving lives.”
“This legislation does not cost anyone anything besides saving lives,” Sen. Isakson told the crowd.
Additionally, Dr. Mitch Wallin, a neurologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, explained the benefits of having a data collection system for neurological diseases saying that it would help us identify causes, cures, and better clinical care policies for patients.
The 12 organizations sponsoring the briefing hope to get 51 Senate co-sponsors of the Advancing Research for Neurological Diseases Act and you can help get us there. Please email your Senators today and ask them to support S. 849.