Successful Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Memory Health Clinic a Testament to Partnership, Collaboration

An estimated 6.7 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s disease, and nearly three-quarters of those affected are over age 75. By 2050, almost 13 million people may develop Alzheimer’s. The WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute’s (RNI’s) multidisciplinary Memory Health Clinic was created in 2020 to provide a comprehensive approach for serving Alzheimer’s and dementia patients and their families. 

The Memory Health Clinic has rapidly grown to become a nationally-renowned program with experts in neurology, geriatrics, neuropsychology, geriatric psychiatry, and neuroradiology, thanks to the partnership between the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and the WVU Department of Medicine’s Division of Geriatrics, Palliative Medicine, and Hospice. R. Osvaldo Navia, MD, division chief, said “the needs of our state’s aging population make the collaboration a natural fit.

“Geriatricians have advanced training and sophisticated skills to treat patients with dementia and their families, providing personalized care that includes clinical assessment, behavioral treatment plans, and community support,” Dr. Navia explained. “Our approach is dynamic, since dementia evolves through stages and each patient’s needs are quite different.”

“We’re proud to be increasingly recognized as a national leader in memory health, providing cutting-edge treatment innovations for our patients,” Ali Rezai, MD, executive chair and director of the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, said.

The program’s early success speaks to the increasing need for Alzheimer’s and dementia care in our region.

“Our team has cared for over 1,000 new patients and families from around the region in the last three years. We are grateful for support from the RNI and WVU Medicine for the unique care that we provide that fits so well the culture of our region,” Marc W. Haut, PhD, WVU School of Medicine Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry professor and director of the Memory Health Clinic, said.