New Patient Information
The VCU Parkinson's and Movement Disorders Center is committed to providing personalized interdisciplinary care and treatment for patients with a movement disorder. This page provides information to help each patient and family member to get the most out of their experience with us.
Appointments
If you need to schedule or reschedule an appointment with one of our providers, please call (804) 360-4669.
You may be referred by your doctor or you may directly make an appointment for yourself or a family member. A physician referral is not required to make an appointment. You may be referred by your doctor (primary care or neurologist) or you may directly make an appointment for yourself or a family member.
We recommend that all new patients check with their insurance company which may require a pre-authorization prior to the appointment date.
We encourage and welcome caregivers and family members to come to and participate in appointments.
Preparing for Your First Appointment
Your first appointment is scheduled with the neurologist. The clinic coordinator will mail you a new patient information packet with forms that need to be completed prior to your visit. If you have not yet received these or need another copy, please call our office at (804) 360-4669. Please bring these completed forms with you on the day of your appointment.
Please have your primary care physician or neurologist (if you have one) forward your medical records to our office, including any radiology testing (MRI, CT, x-ray) that you have had in the past year. If you have undergone genetic testing in relation to your diagnosis, please forward the laboratory reports.
The initial appointment with one of our neurologists is usually 90 minutes long. This includes check-in with the nurse as well as your visit with the doctor. Follow-up appointments are scheduled based on a patient's needs, and are typically 60 minutes.
For your initial appointment with the neurologist, please bring:
- Your insurance cards.
- Completed new patient packet. This should have been mailed to you after your appointment was made. If you need another copy, please call our office at (804) 661-9185.
- Any additional medical records you have that have not yet been forwarded to our office.
- Any films or CDs (not simply the report) of radiology testing (MRI, CT, x-ray) relevant to your condition that you have had completed in the past year. These are particularly important and if necessary, you may have to retrieve these from the imaging testing location.
- The pill bottles for all the medicines you are currently taking. Our staff and neurologists may need to see the actual bottle(s) with the name(s) and dosage(s) listed.
Appointment Length
The usual length of each appointment with members of the interdisciplinary team varies depending on the specialty:
| Specialist | Initial Visit | Follow-up Visit |
| Neurologist |
40 - 60 min.
|
20 - 30 min.
|
| Neuropsychologist |
1 hour interview
3 hours testing |
30 min.
|
| Neurosurgeon |
90 min.
|
60 min.
|
| Physical therapist |
90 min.
|
60 min.
|
| Psychiatrist |
90 min.
|
30 min.
|
| Speech therapist |
90 min.
|
60 min.
|
Getting in Touch with Us
If you have a question for your provider; need a prescription refill or form to be completed; or need to discuss a problem with our nurse; or have questions related to a Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) stimulator, please call (804) 364-6519 and select the appropriate option.
All messages are reviewed on the same business day. Response times vary based on the nature of the request and can range from two to five business days. Be sure to submit your requests early especially during holiday clinic closings.
We highly recommend that all patients enroll in VCU Health MyChart to expedite requests.
Research
We are committed to advancing the understanding of movement disorders, in terms of both defining biological causes and developing new treatments. Ongoing clinical research is necessary to achieve this important goal. A unique feature of our center is the on-site collaboration of clinical providers from several disciplines that bring a diverse perspective to clinical research studies.
If you are interested in being contacted about opportunities to participate in research studies at our center, please contact Ginger Norris at vwnorris@vcu.edu or (804) 662-5307.
A complete listing of our current research projects is available online.
Resources and Education
In addition to clinical care services, we also offer resources and education opportunities. You do not have to be a current patient to participate. Please check our Facebook and Twitter pages for updates.
Support Groups
View the list of Parkinson's Disease Support Groups
We also host two support groups at our center:
Richmond Metro Huntington Disease Support Group
Meets the second Tuesday of each month at 6 p.m.
Contact Ginger Norris, vwnorris@vcu.edu or (804) 662-5307
Women's Support Group - for women diagnosed with Parkinson's disease or other movement disorder
Meets the second Friday of each month at 10 a.m.
Contact Susan Chandler, pdcenter@vcu.edu or (804) 662-5300
Other support groups are available and we maintain a listing of groups in Virginia for:
Exercise Resources
Financial Assistance
VCU Health is proud of its mission to provide quality care to all who need it. If you do not have health insurance and worry that you may not be able to pay in full for your care, we may be able to help. It is important that you let us know if you will have trouble paying your bill. Click here for more information about financial assistance.
Make an Appointment
Please call (804) 360-4NOW (4669) to schedule an appointment.
The Hilton offers discounted rates for PMDC patients!
Booking link and instructions:
- Email pdcenter@vcuhealth.org for the PMDC patient discount code.
- Click here for Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa in Short Pump.
- Enter the arrival and departure date.
- Click on more options.
- Then click on add special rate code.
- There will be three boxes to enter in discount codes, one is promo code, the other is group code and the third box is for corporate code. Enter the code in the corporate code box.
- Then click on check dates and rates and you can book your reservation there for VCU Health.
Hilton Richmond Hotel & Spa in Short Pump
Phone: (804) 364-3600
Contact: chrissy.picano@shaminhotels.com