Dementia Infrastructure Bill (S.2076/H.R. 4256)

It is evident during this National Public Health Week, that Alzheimer’s is the most under-recognized threat to public health in the 21^st century, as proclaimed by Dr. David Satcher, former U. S. Surgeon General and former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director (CDC). In recognition of this urgent public health issue, the Alzheimer’s Association, through the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM), was instrumental in the development and introduction of the BOLD (Building Our Largest Dementia) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 2076/H.R. 4256). Support from Congress is needed.

Benefits of the bill:

• Would create an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions focused on public health issues such as increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations.
• Would increase implementation of the Healthy Brain Initiative’s Public Health Road Map nationwide by establishing Alzheimer’s centers of excellence, providing cooperative agreements to public health departments, and increasing data collection, analysis and timely reporting.
• Would direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish Alzheimer’s Centers of Excellence. This would increase education, provide technical assistance, implement interventions and expand innovative partnerships that focus on addressing cognitive impairment and health disparities.
• Would award cooperative agreements to public health departments to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions and implement strategic actions identified in the Healthy Brain Initiative’s Public Health Road Map.
• Would increase data collection, analysis and timely reporting of data on Alzheimer’s caregiving and health disparities. Funding would also help monitor the progress of the Alzheimer’s and caregiving objectives in the Healthy People 2020 report.

Details on the bill are available at: https://alzimpact.org/priorities/bold_alzheimers_act?WT.mc_id=ene…ource=enews-aff-46&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=enews-2018-04-04