Author: Jeannine Sato

Mor’s contributions to Brown’s School of Public Health featured in it 10-year anniversary celebration

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

Brown University’s School of Public Health is featuring the contributions of IMPACT multiple principal investigator, Vince Mor, PhD, as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. Professor Mor has led aging research at Brown for more than 40 years and he helped found the School of Public Health.

He is further credited with transforming aging and dementia care research after serving in the roles of department chair, center director and principal investigator on more than 40 National Institutes of Health-funded grants during his tenure.

Learn more about Mor’s work at Brown University’s School of Public Health, including a Q&A and video entitled Behind the Lectern: Vincent Mor.

IMPACT collaboratory announces recipients of two funding mechanisms

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

The NIA IMPACT Collaboratory is pleased to announce the awardees of the Pilot Grants Cycle 5A, and the Health Care Systems Scholars Cycle 4.  Awardees of these funding opportunities will be supported by the IMPACT cores and teams to conduct embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) of non-pharmacological interventions within healthcare systems to improve care for people living with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD) and their care partners.

Pilot Grant Program Cycle 5A

The Pilot Grant Program funds several one-year pilot ePCTs that test non-pharmacological interventions embedded in health care systems to improve care for people living with AD/ADRD and their care partners. Pilot studies are conducted to generate the preliminary data necessary to design and conduct future full-scale Stage IV effectiveness ePCT (based on the NIH Stage Model) that will be funded through other grant mechanisms (National Institutes of Health or other sources).

Recipients of the Pilot Cycle 5A Awards:

  • Julie Lauffenburger, PhD, Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
    Deprescribing in Patients Living with Dementia with Caregiver and Provider Nudges
  • Peter Serina, MD, MPH, Brown University School of Public Health
    PartnerED Care: Coordinated ED Transition for Assisted Living Patients with ADRD
  • Veronica Yank, MD, University of California San Francisco
    Primary Care-Based Pilot ePCT of an Online Workshop for Family Caregivers of PLWD

Health Care System Scholars Program Cycle 4

The Health Care Systems (HCS) Scholars Program funds investigators for one year to work directly with health care systems interested in improving the care provided to people living with dementia (PLWD) and their care partners. The goals of the HCS Scholars Program are to embed investigators in health care systems to:

  • Establish mutually beneficial partnerships to improve the care of PLWD and their care partners.
  • Train investigators about health care settings’ needs and how new programs are successfully introduced at all levels of the organization.
  • Engage HCS in learning more about what it means to conduct ePCTs and provide resources for understanding opportunities for improvement in dementia care or evaluation of related quality improvement projects.
  • Strengthen collaborations between investigators and HCS that may lead to pilot studies or demonstration projects.

Recipient of the Health Care System Scholars Program Cycle 4 Award

Aranda inducted as fellow at American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

IMPACT’s Health Equity Team co-leader Maria Aranda, PhD, MSW, MMPA, LCSW was inducted as a 2024 fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW). Aranda is one of two distinguished faculty members inducted from the University of Southern California (USC) Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. The AASWSW recognizes the accomplishments of scholars, practitioners and policy leaders dedicated to achieving excellence in high-impact work to advance social good. Aranda received the honor at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on January 13.

Learn more.

IMPACT Launches New HE Certificate Training Program

IMPACT Certificate Program – Best Practices for Integrating Health Equity into ePCTs for Dementia Care

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

IMPACT Collaboratory introduced its latest online training program designed to empower researchers at all levels in integrating health equity considerations into embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials (ePCTs) for people living with dementia (PLWD) and their care partners.

Program Overview:

This comprehensive training program, aligned with the “Best Practices for Integrating Health Equity into ePCTs for Dementia Care” document, equips researchers with the knowledge and skills to incorporate health equity considerations into design and research activities at every level of ePCTs for people living with dementia. The program covers six essential topic areas:

· Getting Started

· Community Partner Engagement

· Design and Analysis

· Intervention Design and Implementation

· Healthcare System and Participant Selection

· Selecting Outcomes

Key Features:

· Free, accessible online training

· Six courses, each including 2-5 brief and engaging videos

· Self-paced learning, typically completed in 3 hours or less

· Certificate upon successful completion of the program

Access the Training:

Visit the IMPACT Collaboratory HE certificate web page for details and links to set up your free learning account. This account not only provides access to the health equity training program but also to other certificate programs and training materials.

IMPACT member Gary Epstein-Lubow awarded grant to support providers within CMS’s new evidence-based dementia care model

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

IMPACT’s Engaging Partners Team leader Gary Epstein-Lubow, MD from the global health nonprofit, Education Development Center, received a grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation to coordinate with the developers of six evidence-based comprehensive dementia care programs to help define dissemination strategies, establish standards and tools, and conduct training to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based programs under the new Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model. The collaborating programs include:

  • The Benjamin Rose Institute Care Consultation (BRI-CC)TM
  • Care Ecosystem
  • Eskenazi Healthy Aging Brain Center (HABC 3.0)
  • Integrated Memory Care (IMC)
  • Maximizing Independence (MIND) at Home
  • UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) Program

Dr. Epstein-Lubow and team, including IMPACT’s Engaging Partners Team Co-leader Ellen Tambor, MA will lead the National Dementia Care Collaborative (NDCC) which will provide a common platform for health systems and other provider organizations that have already implemented a proven model of comprehensive dementia care or are seeking to establish a new program in response to the call from CMS for applications for the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience (GUIDE) Model.

The Guide Model  was announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in July 2023 to test an alternative payment model for Medicare to pay for comprehensive dementia care that includes support for family caregivers. On November 15, 2023, CMS released a Request for Applications (RFA) (PDF)  for health systems and provider organizations interested in participating in the program. Applications will be accepted through Tuesday, January 30, 2024.

Health systems and organizations selected to participate in the GUIDE Model will establish dementia care programs (DCPs) that provide ongoing, longitudinal care and support to people living with dementia through an interdisciplinary team. GUIDE participants will be Medicare Part B enrolled providers/suppliers, excluding durable medical equipment (DME) and laboratory suppliers, who are eligible to bill for Medicare Physician Fee Schedule services and agree to meet the care delivery requirements of the model. (CMS.gov)

IMPACT Collaboratory funds two Career Development Awards

Posted on by Jeannine Sato

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Imbedded Pragmatic AD/ADRD Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023  Career Development Award Program. Recipients were selected from an impressive group of competitive applications.

About the IMPACT Collaboratory Career Development Award Program

NIA IMPACT Collaboratory funds two to three Career Development Awards (CDAs) annually. These awards support the development of early-stage MD, PhD, or equivalent researchers who seek careers conducting ePCTs for people living with AD/ADRD and their care partners. This mechanism funds research projects that are preparatory to conducting a future ePCT such as secondary data analysis, intervention development or the development of pragmatic outcomes. The IMPACT Collaboratory prioritizes applications that address dementia care for people of all backgrounds and promote health equity.

2023 IMPACT Career Development Award Recipients:

Erica Frechman, PhD, AGPCNP-BC, ACHPN, NEA-BC, FPCN, Wake Forest University, School of Medicine Pragmatic EHR Tool to Identify High-Risk Hospitalized Dementia Patients

Rebecca Lassell, PhD, MOT, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington
Adapting Green Activity Prescriptions with Black People Living with Dementia