Kerry Howard is on a mission to Washington.<\/p>\n
The 64-year-old Juneau resident will be in the nation’s capital Sept. 9-10 to attend the Parkinson’s Policy Forum. She’ll be meeting with activists from across the nation to discuss patient issues and needs.<\/p>\n
“The chance to join advocates like myself to share our Parkinson’s journey and show our nation’s leaders how they can use their votes to support Parkinson’s research and care is impactful,” Howard said.<\/p>\n
Howard was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2016 but hasn’t let that slow her down<\/a>. She regularly participates in programs at Pavitt Health & Fitness and is an avid photographer.<\/p>\n “Although day-to-day activities can be more challenging with this disease, I believe in volunteering my time, energy, and effort to try to make a difference,” she said.<\/p>\n On Sept. 10, Howard will meet with Alaska’s congressional delegation to talk about policy opportunities that can help Parkinson’s patients.<\/p>\n The forum will feature advocacy training sessions as well as presentations on Parkinson’s research.<\/p>\n According to a press release from the Forum’s website, there will be three areas of focus this year: the economic burden of Parkinson’s disease, an out-of-pocket spending cap for Medicare<\/a>, and increased access to mental health care<\/a>.<\/p>\n Howard attended the forum in 2018 with a group of advocates from Anchorage, and the group met with all three of Alaska’s members of Congress.<\/p>\n “Last year’s forum focused on funding for a National Neurological Conditions Surveillance System<\/a>, which will create a database of value to researchers,” Howard told the Empire in an email. “It is my understanding that Alaska’s delegation supported this funding, which is something anyone who has a neurological disease can be happy about,” she said.<\/p>\n