Oak Brook, Ill. – Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care are extending initiatives to increase cognitive screenings and provide comprehensive memory care resources, thanks to support from the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, a pioneering worldwide initiative seeking to cure Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia is critical to preventing delays in care and ensuring patients and families receive the support they need. In the last two years, digital screening tools have been rolled out in dozens of primary care offices in Illinois and Wisconsin, offering rapid assessments of cognitive symptoms for more than 1,000 patients to date. The project has also enhanced access to educational resources and e-consult support, enabling clinicians to better care for dementia patients.
“In collaboration with our primary care partners, we are on the forefront of early and accurate cognitive testing – a critical step in effectively evaluating treatment options and getting patients the memory care they need,” says Dr. Darren Gitelman, director of cognitive disorders at Advocate Medical Group and senior medical director of the Advocate Memory Center. “The quicker we are able to intervene, the earlier we can address treatable problems, and the better we can manage chronic conditions in the long term.”
The work has been made possible through grant funding from the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Healthcare System Preparedness Program, which supports innovative approaches that measurably increase rates of cognitive screening, early detection and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. The organization was among only 12 health systems in the world – and five in the U.S. – to be awarded grants in 2022 for projects related to the early detection of cognitive impairment symptoms. Dr. Gitelman and Dr. Michael Malone, medical director of Aurora Senior Services, were co-principal investigators on this grant.
Davos recently announced an extension of its support for the memory care initiatives across Advocate and Aurora, allowing for expanded use of the digital screening tools, improved internal reporting and medical record integration, and enhanced educational conferences and resources.
“Expanding access to these digital screenings and educational resources further enables clinicians to detect cognitive disorders and make recommendations that could significantly impact a patient’s prognosis,” Dr. Gitelman says. “We are grateful for the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative’s partnership in delivering specialized, high-quality care across our aging patient population.”
Media Contact:
Lauren Rohr
Lauren.Rohr@aah.org
About Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care
Advocate Health Care in Illinois and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin are the largest health systems in their respective states. As national leaders in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care, Advocate Health Care and Aurora Health Care serve patients across 29 hospitals, including two children’s campuses, and nearly 450 sites of care. Both are now a part of Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, in addition to Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides nearly $6 billion in annual community benefits.
About the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative
The Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative (DAC) is a pioneering worldwide initiative to cure Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, seeking to mirror the success of global efforts against infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Covid, and Malaria. DAC is extending global research beyond its current focus on traditional Western European ethnic populations into the highly diversified populations of the Global South, where the vast majority of those with Alzheimer’s live. By introducing lower-cost screening and diagnostic tools as well as new treatment and prevention modalities in primary care and community health settings, DAC is driving implementation of health system solutions that are appropriate for worldwide application. DAC also promotes the vital importance of brain health throughout the lifespan by addressing cardiometabolic and lifestyle factors, especially in early and mid-life. Absent effective action at scale around the world, by 2050, more than 150 million families and half a billion people will be personally impacted by dementia, creating a social, financial, economic, and global security disaster of historic proportions. DAC was launched in Davos in 2021 by the World Economic Forum and the Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer's Disease. For more information, please visit: davosalzheimerscollaborative.org.