Task force discusses statewide Alzheimer’s research grants, memory-assessment clinics and a data work group

Members of the Commerce task force’s Alzheimer’s/dementia subcommittee discussed forming a statewide research grant program, creating memory-assessment clinics modeled on Georgia’s program, and establishing a data work group to inventory funding and services across Alabama.

Ginny Shaver, chair of the task force, said the subcommittees have had trouble meeting and that “our deadline is fast approaching,” and proposed moving ahead with the work that can be completed now. The meeting centered on how to support and promote research and innovation for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, and on improving access to diagnosis and follow-up care across the state.

Why it matters: Subcommittee members told the group that people in many parts of Alabama face long waits and travel burdens to obtain diagnostic assessments and specialized care. Nicole Bertiano, professor at the University of Alabama School of Social Work and evaluation lead for the BOLD project, offered to organize researchers and to have her students convene a focus group of Alabama Alzheimer’s researchers to identify existing work and gaps.

Discussion highlights included (1) compiling an inventory of grants and other funding moving into the state to better measure any future funding increases, (2) studying Georgia’s memory-assessment clinic model as a potential template for Alabama, and (3) creating a data work group to gather and harmonize surveillance and program data for policy use.

On funding and research capacity, Ginny Shaver and other participants cited federal National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards currently supporting Alzheimer’s research in Alabama institutions. Participants noted specific awards mentioned during the meeting, including an NIH grant of about $1,100,000 to Auburn University’s pharmacy department and an NIH five‑year, $3,500,000 award to Dr. Nick Cochran at HudsonAlpha. One commenter said HudsonAlpha also received large federal funding for cancer research but that most federal Alzheimer’s research dollars appear to flow through NIH.

The group reviewed Georgia’s program described at the meeting as the Georgia “NIMRA Net” model, which the speakers said launched in 2017 and funded five memory‑assessment clinics in 2018 at a startup cost of about $4,120,000; participants said the program later added clinics and that annual funding had grown to about $7,120,000. According to meeting remarks, Georgia’s clinics are state funded and privately managed, screen patients referred by primary care, provide multidisciplinary assessments and care planning, and also use university students and staff to expand workforce training and rural access. The speakers said Georgia’s program had served more than 2,500 patients at an estimated cost of roughly $13,600–$15,000 per patient as described at the meeting.

Data and coordination: A participant recommended adding data collection explicitly to the research and innovation subcommittee. Meeting speakers proposed establishing a data work group among stakeholders, pulling together surveillance sources (for example, behavioral risk factor surveillance modules), and creating a plan to collect, analyze and use data to inform programs and policy. One speaker suggested students could inventory what different agencies currently collect as a summer project.

Next steps and follow-up: The chair said she would compile the meeting input into the draft recommendations and aim to schedule a follow-up full task force meeting at the end of the month; she also said she would add a proposed research work group and the data availability goal to the list of recommendations. Nicole Bertiano said she would work with students to assemble a focus group of researchers and that her team’s Alabama Caregiver Connect initiative could be used to help make research opportunities and study participation more accessible to the public.

Ending: Speakers identified outreach channels to reach people and caregivers — including clinics, health departments, Area Agencies on Aging, senior centers and physician offices — and emphasized that centralizing information and building trusted local points of contact would help increase early detection, study participation and service access.