Published: January 29, 2025
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Norton Neuroscience Institute is one of six sites nationwide chosen to pilot a new Brain Health Navigator program aimed at creating a worldwide model to prevent, diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease. The program — funded and pioneered by the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative — provides resources for patients and providers at these six sites.
“This collaborative effort continues to elevate Norton Neuroscience Institute to a national stage,” said Gregory E. Cooper, M.D., Ph.D., neurologist and director of Norton Neuroscience Institute Memory Center. “It’s an affirmation of what we’ve already done, while also incentivizing us to continue pushing the limits of dementia and Alzheimer’s care in our community.”
The program funds a dedicated nurse navigator, Deborah Lockridge, R.N., BSN, CCRC, at Norton Community Medical Associates – Preston, whose job is to collaborate with primary care providers at the practice to identify patients who are at high risk and may be experiencing early symptoms of cognitive decline. The goal is to more quickly connect those patients with treatment at Norton Neuroscience Institute Memory Center and provide personalized education and support services along the way. The hope is to more efficiently diagnose and treat Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in their earliest stages. If the pilot proves successful, this clinical pathway may be used as a worldwide model for future Alzheimer’s care.
“This grant enhances the comprehensive care services we offer here at Norton Healthcare,” Lockridge said. “We all agree having a point of contact who can answer questions, encourage patients and caregivers and point them in the right direction is going to be a tremendous benefit to our community. We will use this opportunity to develop a collaborative, easy-to-navigate care model that can be scaled not just throughout Norton Healthcare, but across the country.”
Alzheimer’s disease is growing into a worldwide epidemic. According to the National Institute on Aging, more than 6 million Americans currently are living with Alzheimer’s, and more than 13 million will be living with the disease by 2060. The current care model requires multiple medical providers to coordinate to ensure patients who are eligible for disease-modifying therapies receive them during the early window of opportunity, when they will most benefit.
Yet, there are pathways for prevention, early detection and accurate diagnosis that could change the course of the disease forever. For example, in August 2023, Norton Neuroscience Institute became the first site in Kentucky to administer disease-modifying therapies to patients with mild cognitive decline and mild Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to early treatment, Norton Neuroscience Institute is actively pursuing brain health and prevention strategies.
“We’re very proud of our memory program and what we’ve created so far, but we know there is still much work to be done,” Dr. Cooper said. “We won’t rest until we’ve tried to perfect our system to quickly identify, diagnosis and treat people at the earliest possible stages, when we believe we have the greatest chance to slow this disease in its path.”
The six pilot sites will serve as start-up incubators for the development of materials and best practices for the program’s long-term sustainability and expansion — without the need for external funding. The learnings and resources from the Brain Health Navigator program will be incorporated into Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative’s Early Detection Blueprint.
The other sites included in the program are Dartmouth Health (New Hampshire), Memorial Healthcare (Owosso, Michigan), Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group (California), UC Health (Ohio) and Keck Medical Center of USC, part of Keck Medicine of USC (California). Patients can schedule an appointment by calling (502) 446-4664 or visiting NortonHealthcare.com/MemoryCenter.