Special Honors

Cathi-Ann Thomas MS, RN, CNRN, a dedicated, longtime member of the APDA family, won the prestigious Mary Ann Garrigan Award from the Theta at-Large Chapter of Sigma, a global nursing excellence organization. The award recognizes a Theta-at-Large member who has demonstrated excellence as a contemporary leader in nursing.

For almost 20 years, Cathi has been the Program Director of the Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder’s Center at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM). She has also been the Coordinator of the APDA Information & Referral Center in the Department of Neurology at BUSM since 1985. Cathi has devoted her career to caring for patients with movement disorders and teaching nurses and physicians about these conditions. At the same time, Cathi has been publishing peer reviewed articles in medical and nursing journals with her colleagues.

In addition to her administrative responsibilities, Cathi provides direct care to patients and through her practice she demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and attitude that are the hallmark of an excellent nurse. Many of the patients who are seen in the Center have been treated there for years. Cathi is not only familiar with their disease progression, but also with them as people. She combines caring and compassion with the encouragement they need to strive for the best quality of life and it is clear that she is their trusted care provider.

We are so proud of Cathi for this achievement and so thankful that she is such an important part of the APDA family.