Montefiore Einstein’s designation as a Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease (CEAD) was reaffirmed in July with a $2.3 million grant from the New York State Department of Health. The grant, which will be distributed over five years, will provide comprehensive screening and care planning for individuals with memory impairments and their caregivers in the Hudson Valley.
The number of Hudson Valley residents currently over age 65 is already slightly higher than the state average and is projected to grow from 388,000 to more than 400,000 by 2030. That will likely increase the number of people living with Alzheimer's disease in the region.
“The funds from NYS Department of Health will help us expand specialized dementia training,” said Jessica L. Zwerling, MD, a neurologist and Director, Montefiore Hudson Valley CEAD; Director, United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties Geriatric Neurology Fellowship Program; Director, Memory Disorders Center at Blondell; Associate Professor, Neurology; Associate Director, Center for the Aging Brain; and Clinical Director, Einstein Aging Study, the Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “We’ll also bolster education in this area for students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, ensuring the workforce is best positioned to assist people with memory impairments.”
The Montefiore CEAD is one of only 10 centers of excellence in New York. It promotes early diagnosis and assessment by a team of neurologists, geriatricians, neuropsychologists and social workers. They determine if an individual’s memory issues are caused by Alzheimer’s disease, another form of dementia or are the result of an unrelated medical issue.
