Five questions with John Petryshen, CEO of Parkinson Alberta

Edmonton has the Buchanan Centre [named after its deceased benefactor Gordon Buchanan]. It's a destination spot for all things Parkinson. How well is that working?

I think we've got a really heavily taxed health-care system and typically people will go to the experts, whether it's to address medical issues or psychosocial issues. The Buchanan Centre [now in its third year] was really a bridge to connect non-profit Parkinson Alberta to the medical community, to be a nucleus of activity and a resource where people can have a meeting place. So, for October to December 2015, we saw 1,300 people come through the doors. The first quarter of 2016 we've seen 1,500 come through the doors.

Will that get the government's attention?

What's disappointing in our journey as an organization is we wanted the government to come in. We sent in a proposal back in 2013. We met with the party in charge at the time [the Tories] and we discussed the Buchanan Centre concept, that it would be a first of its kind in the country. … Meeting with the politicians, we had their verbal support. We submitted a proposal to the minister for $2-million. The commitment from the Buchanans was $2.5-million. Well, lo and behold, it took over 2 1/2 years to get a rejection [from the government]. Even today, trying to work with the minister of health, the minister of culture, Parkinson isn't really on the radar screen – and that's something we need to change.

Are other changes needed?

It doesn't make sense to me that the [provincial] government believes Alberta Health Services should be everything to everybody. They don't have the capacity. Here we are – as a community organization – that does great work. We just don't run around with a cap in our hand saying: 'We need money for research. I need money for minimal programs and services.' Our job is to work with people every day of their journey. Our client services co-ordinators get to know families and individuals better than their neurologist or general practitioner will get to know them. That's our goal.

So why does Edmonton have a Buchanan Centre but not Calgary?

We can't forget about people living in Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Sherwood Park, people that can't travel, so we still have to run programs and services in communities across our province, including Calgary. We're very fortunate to have a good partnership with the Calgary Jewish Centre, which is a beautiful facility. We run our exercise programs there. To me, it's like our mini-Buchanan Centre. And I'm hopeful that, within the next two years in Calgary, we'll have learned enough from what we've been doing at the Buchanan Centre to almost duplicate that in Calgary.

How has being the CEO of Parkinson Alberta affected you?

I can't say what it's like to have Parkinson's but I have watched people with it for over seven years. You can have Parkinson or you can have Parkinson Plus, which is similar but really progresses more quickly. I've watched some of them progress quite quickly, to others who even have trouble getting out of bed; have trouble taking their medications; have trouble trying to participate in their communities. I have a friend going through this after he helped us host two Parkinson's events at the Petroleum Club. To me, that's tragic.

This interview has been edited and condensed.