Angee Ludwa, newly appointed Director of Programming for the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness. Photo Courtesy of the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness.
Angee Ludwa, PT, MPT Selected as Director of Programming!
The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s has carefully selected a highly qualified expert in the treatment of Parkinson’s for a leadership role at its Center for Parkinson’s Wellness, opening later this year. Angee Ludwa, PT, MPT will lead a team of 30 certified trainers and 50 volunteers in her newly appointed role as Director of Programming.
As Director of Programming at the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness,
Angee will establish and lead all the movement-based programs following the InMotion ApproachTM, incorporating a variety of group classes such as yoga, stretching, boxing, dance, and strength conditioning exercises. Along with her team, Angee will ensure that the programming at the Center is of the highest quality and benefit to participants.
Angee earned her master’s degree in physical therapy from Oakland University and has over 28 years of professional experience in outpatient neurological care. In 2007, Angee directed her career focus towards the specialized care of individuals with Parkinson’s disease and, since then, has initiated and overseen the establishment of multiple Parkinson’s disease-specific programs within the metro Detroit area. Committed to community engagement, she has taught various community-based exercise classes including Parkinson Wellness Recovery (PWR!) and Rock Steady Boxing for over 15 years. She recently stepped down from the role of Director of Exercise at the Michigan Parkinson Foundation and continues to collaborate with them and serves on their Professional Advisory Board.
“We are thrilled to have someone with Angee’s expertise join the staff at the Center for Parkinson’s Wellness,” said Steve Annear, Chief Executive Officer, The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s. “Under Angee’s leadership, individuals with Parkinson’s in the Detroit area will have access to the highest quality programming available.”
When the Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness opens later this year,
it will be the first of its kind in Michigan. The center, which will be located at 31440 Northwestern Highway in Farmington Hills, will be a world-class facility where those impacted by Parkinson’s can access a range of activity-based programs, completely free of charge with no insurance required. The Center will provide a series of free programs, many of which were developed by InMotion, a Cleveland based leader in the provision of evidence-based programs tailored for people with Parkinson’s disease. Movement matters in the fight against Parkinson’s and through leveraging the InMotion ApproachTM, the Kirk Gibson Center will provide an integrated, holistic system of wellness programs designed to counteract the symptoms of the disease and to improve the quality of life of those people living with Parkinson’s disease here in Michigan. Offering approximately 70 hours of weekly programming with initial capacity to provide 60,000 visitor hours per year, the center will ultimately serve as a model for collaborative coalitions in support of people living with Parkinson’s.
For more information on The Kirk Gibson Center for Parkinson’s Wellness and to learn about opportunities to support its mission, please visit: KirkGibsonFoundation.org.
Follow The Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s social:
Facebook: @KirkGibsonFoundation
Instagram: @KirkGibsonFoundation
LinkedIn: @KirkGibsonFoundationForParkinson’s
X: @KirkGibsonFDN
About the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s:
The Kirk Gibson Foundation was created in 1996 to provide college scholarships to both athletes and non- athletes at Waterford Kettering and Clarkston High Schools, where Kirk’s parents, Robert and Barbara, taught for many years. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2015, he expanded the mission of the Foundation to improve the quality of life of those living with Parkinson’s through the development and delivery of activity-based programs. Kirk’s vision is to provide inspiration, hope, and help to those living with Parkinson’s disease and their loved ones. Since that expansion, the Foundation has raised more than $3 million towards research grants and programs to support the Parkinson’s community.
Additionally, the Foundation wants to create awareness and understanding about Parkinson’s disease. Too many individuals are in denial about the disease or fear a stigma associated with Parkinson’s and delay seeking medical help. Early diagnosis and treatment can provide years that are virtually symptom-free. It’s imperative to know that life expectancy is about the same as for people without the disease. While life will change with a Parkinson’s diagnosis, many symptoms can be managed with proper medication and movement therapies, and patients can still live an active and enjoyable life. The Foundation will continue to fund and grow outreach programs as well as improve awareness through hosting special events and by increasing fundraising activities. For more information, please visit www.KirkGibsonFoundation.org