St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center has announced plans for one of the most comprehensive Parkinson's centers in the country, named after former boxing champion Muhammad Ali and his wife, Lonnie.
The Alis were on hand Tuesday for the announcement about the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.
"To see the beginning of this beautiful new center is truly a dream come true for Muhammad and me," said Lonnie Ali. "We are so grateful to all of you -- to Dr. Abe Lieberman, the Celebrity Fight Night Foundation and other supporters.
The new center is expected to open in late 2009. It will include 10 basic exam rooms, a tremor exam room, a botox treatment room, a tilt room to help evaluate patients with orthostatic hypertension and a balance lab.
The pavilion also will contain treatment areas for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy and a multi-purpose room for educaton and recreational classes.
The National Institutes of Health says at least 500,000 people in the United States suffer from Parkinson's disease and approximately 50,000 new cases are reported annually. The incidence is expected to increase as baby boomers age.
St. Joseph's Hospital and its Barrow Neurological Institute are working to improve services for people with Parkinson's, Huntington's disease and Tourette syndrome.
"We're on our way to ecoming a world-class center for the growing number of people that are affected by these chronic illnesses," said Lieberman.
He added, "The Alis know that Muhammad Ali is going to get excellent care because he's Muhammad Ali, but they want everyone to get that same type of care."
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