- Illinois: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel on Saturday announced that within its first year of operation, a collaboration between the city's Department of Public Health and two community providers—the University of Illinois at Chicago and Harvard Brown Health—provided care for 3,600 city residents who have HIV. According to Emanuel, that total is four times as many patients as the department has previously served (AP/Sacramento Bee, 5/20).
- Iowa: UnityPoint Health has tapped Arthur Nizza as EVP and COO. Nizza will take on his new responsibilities while continuing in his current role as president and CEO of UnityPoint Health-Meriter in Madison, Wisconsin. Nizza previously served as the first president of MidHudson Regional Hospital of Westchester Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, New York (Vaidya, Becker's Hospital Review, 5/19).
- Washington, D.C.: The National Gallery of Art in April launched a three-month pilot program, called "Just Us at the National Gallery of Art," that uses art-focused meditation to support seniors suffering from memory loss. In biweekly tours, the museum guides seniors and their caregivers through "intensive meditation" sessions centered on different themes, such as family portraits or water scenes. Lorena Bradford, head of accessible prorams at the museum, explained, "Art connects people back to who they are." The museum hopes to establish the tours as a permanent fixture once the pilot program concludes (Modern Healthcare, 5/20).
Five strategies to build a financially successful memory disorders program
Over 5.3 million Americans currently suffer from Alzheimer's disease and related memory disorders and the number is rising. On top of increased demand, reimbursement processes fail to meet the complex needs of these patients who require multifaceted care.
These pressures are forcing providers to rethink how they organize and deliver their memory disorders services to meet this growing population's demands while providing care that is both high-quality and financially sustainable. Here are the five key strategies that a program of any scope and size can implement to provide cost-efficient Alzheimer's and dementia care.