0:12

Hello everyone and welcome to Access for

0:17

Care to Alzheimer's Disease, an event that we are hosting

0:19

with the Alzheimer's Association.

0:22

I am Steven Collens, the CEO of MATTER.

0:25

We are a healthcare technology

0:25

incubator and innovation hub.

0:29

Built on a belief that collaboration

0:29

between entrepreneurs and industry leaders

0:34

is the best way to develop

0:34

healthcare solutions.

0:37

Our mission is to accelerate the

0:37

pace of change of healthcare,

0:40

and we do three things in service of this

0:40

mission. First, we incubate startups.

0:45

We launched in 2015, and since then we've worked with more

0:47

than 850 companies that range from very

0:52

early to growth stage startups, and we

0:52

have a suite of services to help them.

0:56

At every stage of development, our member companies have raised more

0:58

than $5 billion to fuel their growth.

1:03

Second, we work with large organizations like

1:04

health systems and life sciences companies

1:07

and payers to help them strengthen

1:07

their innovation capacity. We help them

1:12

find value in emerging

1:12

technology solutions,

1:15

unlock the full potential of

1:15

their internal innovators,

1:19

and create a more human-centered

1:19

healthcare experience through system level

1:23

collaborations. And third matter is a nexus for those

1:24

who are passionate about healthcare

1:28

innovation. We bring people together to be inspired

1:29

and learn and connect with each other.

1:33

And we put together forums like

1:33

the one we're here for today.

1:38

This is our second year working with

1:38

the Alzheimer's Association to advance

1:42

innovation to improve the lives of

1:42

those living with Alzheimer's disease or

1:47

related dementias. Last year,

1:49

the pitch competition focused on early

1:49

detection in primary care settings.

1:53

And this year the focus is on solutions

1:53

that increase access to quality

1:58

person-centered care for people living

1:58

with Alzheimer's disease in underserved

2:03

communities, inequities in access to care for

2:04

people with Alzheimer's disease,

2:08

STEM from socioeconomic disparities,

2:12

limiting resources and healthcare

2:12

options for those in those communities.

2:16

These disparities manifest

2:16

in delayed diagnosis,

2:20

inadequate support services, and a lack of tailored interventions

2:22

perpetuating a cycle of unequal treatment

2:26

and outcomes for individuals

2:26

affected by Alzheimer's.

2:31

Today we've brought together leaders

2:31

who are working in this space to discuss

2:34

these barriers, to care

2:34

how to improve access,

2:37

how our healthcare system can and

2:37

should collaborate and opportunities for

2:42

innovation. Dr. Jay Bott leads the Deloitte

2:43

Center for Health Solutions and the

2:48

Deloitte Health Equity Institute, and he is a practicing

2:51

internist and geriatrician.

2:56

Ashley Alexander is CEO of the

2:56

Kelsey Research Foundation.

3:00

Ashley also co-chairs the Alzheimer's

3:00

Association Innovation Roundtable.

3:06

Katie Evans is the Chief Mission

3:06

Engagement Officer of the Alzheimer's

3:10

Association, and our moderator

3:10

today is Laura McIntyre,

3:15

senior Director of Health Systems

3:15

at the Alzheimer's Association.

3:18

She works with health systems and health

3:18

plans to increase early detection and

3:23

enhance quality of care for those at

3:23

risk of Alzheimer's disease and related

3:28

dementias. If you have questions

3:28

for any of the panelists,

3:32

please drop them into the chat and Laura

3:32

will weave them into the conversation

3:36

as we go. And following

3:36

the panel discussion,

3:41

my colleague Casey Sheridan will

3:41

provide a brief overview of the second

3:45

annual Alzheimer's

3:45

Association pitch competition.

3:50

Thank you all for joining us today. I'm

3:50

looking forward to the conversation.

3:53

And with that, Laura, I will turn

3:53

it over to you to get started.

3:58

Thank you, Steven. So I'm so grateful to be here

4:00

today and talk about really

4:05

how we can improve access to

4:05

care and to introduce you to this

4:10

amazing panelist. So we'll

4:10

start with Dr. Bhatt.

4:14

Tell us a little bit about your role

4:14

and how you're currently working with

4:17

people living with Alzheimer's

4:17

disease and related dementias.

4:22

Thank you, Laura, and just real gratitude to the Alzheimer's

4:22

Association of your leadership and

4:27

for collaborating with matter.

4:29

I've just been fortunate to work with

4:29

matter over the years and tremendous value

4:34

that creates for the innovation ecosystem.

4:34

So I'm a primary care physician,

4:39

internist, geriatrician at a community health

4:39

center on the south side of Chicago.

4:42

So I directly care for those

4:42

with dementia or cognitive

4:46

impairment and delirium and with work with

4:51

their caregivers. So that experience is humbling

4:53

and it's just an honor to care for

4:58

patients with their

4:58

families and caregivers.

5:02

I also lead our Deloitte

5:02

Health Equity Institute,

5:05

which advances health equity as an

5:05

outcome. We do that through research,

5:09

through social impact with

5:09

community investments,

5:12

as well as building the capacity and

5:12

capabilities of people in our firm and

5:16

giving them experiences to engage

5:16

in purpose-based client and social

5:21

impact work as it

5:21

relates to health equity.

5:24

And so this issue has come

5:24

up through new care models,

5:29

thinking about biopharma and the

5:29

treatments and the drug discovery

5:33

process. Think about how do we

5:34

advance both treatment and

5:39

support for those that may be on their

5:39

way to dementia or have dementia.

5:44

And then our Center for Health Solutions

5:44

at Deloitte does research across the

5:48

industry in life sciences and

5:48

healthcare. And so I also personally,

5:54

my father has got mild cognitive

5:54

impairment on his way to

5:58

potentially dementia at a various continuum.

6:01

And so family experience as well.

6:08

Thank you. Thank you. Dr. Bhatt. Ashley,

6:11

tell us about your role and how

6:11

you're working with Alzheimer's.

6:14

Absolutely. I'm Ashley Alexander, president and CEO of Kelsey Research

6:16

Foundation in Houston, Texas.

6:21

We are the research affiliate of a large

6:21

multi-specialty physician group here in

6:25

Houston and oversee and implement all

6:25

research for their patient population and

6:30

for their physicians. And we've had the honor and privilege

6:32

of partnering with the local chapter in

6:36

the National Alzheimer's Association on

6:36

a variety of research projects over the

6:40

years. Most recently for Focus on Brain

6:41

Health with the US Pointer study,

6:45

we serve as part of the Houston

6:45

team implementing the US Pointer

6:50

study for our 455

6:50

participants here in Houston.

6:55

We also, in the future, are hoping to be part of some real

6:57

world clinical trials on the use of the

7:01

therapeutics that have been developed. And in a similar standpoint

7:03

on a personal front,

7:07

both my husband and I have lost our

7:07

maternal grandmothers to Alzheimer's and

7:12

dementia. And so there is a personal drive to

7:12

be involved and see advances in these

7:17

areas. Thank you. Thank you. Ashley and Katie.

7:21

Hi everyone. Katie Evans. I am the Chief Mission Engagement

7:23

Officer of the Alzheimer's Association.

7:27

And really just to ground everyone on

7:27

who the Alzheimer's Association is,

7:31

we're leading the way to end

7:31

Alzheimer's and all other dementia,

7:35

and that's by accelerating

7:35

global research,

7:37

driving risk reduction in early detection, and of course maximizing that

7:39

quality of care and support.

7:43

So in my current role, I have the

7:43

honor and privilege of leading a team,

7:48

and we're developing new products and

7:48

solutions for healthcare systems for

7:53

the long-term and community-based

7:53

organizations, the scientific community,

7:57

and then as well as people who are

7:57

of course living with Alzheimer's and

8:00

dementia and their care partners. So we're really trying to provide

8:02

that support and those resources for

8:07

these audiences so that we can both

8:07

accelerate research but then transform

8:11

clinical and care practice. And similar theme to the other panelists,

8:16

I actually lost my father

8:16

this summer to Alzheimer's,

8:19

so I'm in it in the fight

8:19

and ready to see what we can

8:24

do more together. Well, as you can see,

8:27

we have an amazing panel today

8:27

to talk about barriers to care

8:32

and then potential solutions. I

8:32

echo everything we've heard today.

8:37

I too have a father living with vascular

8:37

dementia entering the middle stage.

8:42

So not only do I live the work every day,

8:46

I live it when I leave this job to

8:46

care and provide the best care for

8:50

him. And so thinking about Alzheimer's,

8:53

we know that the number of the Americans

8:53

living with Alzheimer's today is

8:58

growing rapidly. More than 6 million Americans of

9:00

all ages have Alzheimer's and is the

9:05

size of the US population age

9:05

65 and older continues to grow.

9:09

So will the number and proportions of

9:09

Americans living with Alzheimer's and

9:13

other dementia. It's projected by 2050 that the

9:15

number of people living with

9:20

them, assuming that we don't have breakthroughs

9:20

to prevent or cure this disease will

9:25

likely be around 12.7 million.

9:29

And so as we think about that care and

9:29

how we will care for our older adults,

9:34

thinking about innovation, thinking about their current barriers

9:36

and how to overcome them are really

9:39

critical. And so Ashley,

9:42

what are the main barriers that come

9:42

to mind today that individuals who are

9:46

living with Alzheimer's are facing

9:46

when accessing quality care and support

9:51

services? So a couple of things that I hear about

9:53

from our participants in the US Pointer

9:58

study, many of which have

9:58

served as caregivers,

10:02

it is access and availability to care

10:02

teams and the coordination of those

10:07

care teams. A lot of challenges,

10:11

and we all know this

10:11

and are aware of it, but

10:17

the need for more neurologists

10:17

within our care continuum,

10:21

but also access to get

10:21

into primary care as well.

10:25

And then the coordination often for

10:25

these individuals of primary care in one

10:30

system and then subspecialists,

10:30

neurologists, et cetera,

10:33

and other systems and making

10:33

sure that you are having a

10:37

reconciliation of that medication of

10:37

the conditions that are happening.

10:41

And I also think to go expand

10:41

into the support services,

10:46

it's understanding what support services

10:46

exist within your community and then

10:50

gaining access to those support services.

10:50

You don't know what you don't know,

10:55

and you get into this and face a lot

10:55

of challenges and become overwhelmed.

10:59

And what can caregivers do and provide

10:59

and what can the individuals provide

11:03

or ask for and advocate for as well?

11:06

Yes, I agree. Ashley, Jay, what about you?

11:10

We know you're a practicing physician.

11:12

What barriers are you seeing for the

11:12

patients and the caregivers in accessing

11:16

quality care and support? So thank you so much Laura. And

11:24

just building on Ashley's comments,

11:28

which I think are spot on, one of the things I wanted to say is

11:29

that this is not just a moral imperative,

11:33

it's an economic imperative as well. And we see more frequent

11:35

hospital admissions, higher

11:39

more days in nursing home facilities,

11:42

nearly 55,000 yearly total cost

11:42

per person and poor quality of

11:47

life for both personal dementia and

11:47

they're typically unpaid caregivers.

11:50

So one is lack of information, education caregivers may be

11:52

unaware of available resources,

11:56

support groups and educational materials, but it's also the literacy levels

11:58

that various people may be at.

12:02

I typically take care of historically

12:02

underserved and historically marginalized

12:07

vulnerable and literacy

12:07

levels are quite variable.

12:11

So with a limited amount of time,

12:14

it requires a team that

12:14

coordinates around this

12:18

limited access to specialized cares. Kelsey had suggests. I think this can

12:20

lead to delays in diagnosis and inadequate

12:25

treatment. And then the others

12:25

fragmented healthcare system,

12:28

lacking coordination between

12:28

different clinicians,

12:32

team making it difficult for caregivers

12:32

to navigate through various services,

12:36

coordinate the care of their loved ones,

12:36

emotional and psychological stress,

12:41

feelings of isolation,

12:41

anxiety, depression.

12:44

And so the caregivers may need mental

12:44

health support, counseling, respite care,

12:48

and other peer support groups. The

12:48

financial burden as alluded to,

12:53

can be a challenge. And then lack of

12:53

this respite care and support services.

12:58

So caregivers that may need time off from

12:58

their responsibilities or need to work

13:03

something out with their

13:03

occupational responsibilities.

13:07

But by addressing these barriers,

13:09

I think caregivers can receive the

13:09

support they need to provide the best

13:12

possible care for their

13:12

loved ones with Alzheimer's.

13:15

Yes, I completely agree. And I

13:15

think about workforce as well.

13:20

And so even if we make those caregivers

13:25

aware, then we need a

13:25

well-trained workforce.

13:27

And so I think that's

13:27

an additional barrier.

13:29

So thinking about workforce and in

13:29

thinking about the healthcare ecosystem,

13:34

Katie, what are your thoughts around how

13:34

is the healthcare ecosystem currently

13:39

addressing these barriers? That's a good question, Laura.

13:41

I would say that better.

13:45

Alzheimer's disease care really

13:45

requires conversations about memory

13:50

at the earliest point of concerned and

13:50

having a knowledgeable and accessible

13:55

care team to diagnose,

13:55

monitor disease progression,

13:59

and then of course treat when appropriate. And we do know what effective

14:02

dementia care looks like. In fact,

14:06

there are some models of care

14:06

that have even been developed.

14:10

They've demonstrated both effectiveness

14:10

and proven out some cost savings.

14:14

So right now, we're

14:14

fortunate Laura and her team,

14:19

they're actually working with health

14:19

systems across the country to help each

14:23

system build their own

14:23

dementia care program.

14:26

But I'd also say that more needs to

14:26

be done to address these barriers,

14:30

especially for the rural

14:30

and underserved communities.

14:34

So for us to encourage and implement

14:34

more coordinated care models across

14:39

the country for people living with

14:39

Alzheimer's and other dementia.

14:42

We did launch this summer a dementia

14:42

care navigation round table.

14:48

And this round table is

14:48

supporting very broadly

14:52

implementation of

14:52

dementia care navigation,

14:55

and it's an effort to convene

14:55

experts where they can share best

15:00

practices, build and

15:00

disseminate resources.

15:04

The experts are really from across

15:04

the entire healthcare ecosystems.

15:09

So that includes systems,

15:09

clinicians, payers, researchers,

15:13

and just other stakeholders who are

15:13

really committed to advancing the delivery

15:17

of high quality person-centered

15:17

dementia care navigation.

15:21

And that's something else to note is

15:21

an important cornerstone for this work,

15:25

really centered on guiding principles

15:25

for dementia care navigation,

15:28

which were developed by a

15:28

group of dementia care experts

15:33

and convened by the

15:33

Alzheimer's Association.

15:35

And these guidelines were

15:35

recently published in the journal,

15:39

Alzheimer's and Dementia,

15:39

the Translational Research

15:44

Thank you, Katie. And that's really

15:44

a great update on where we are,

15:48

but we have a ways to

15:48

go. So I'm curious, Jay,

15:51

because of your role with Deloitte

15:51

and you think about the healthcare

15:55

ecosystem, how do you think

15:55

they are addressing barriers?

15:59

What is your perspective on that? Knowing the answer may be sometimes

16:01

they're not. And so I'm just curious,

16:05

what are your thoughts about how the

16:05

healthcare ecosystem is addressing them?

16:10

Yeah, I think the ecosystem

16:10

and the various players,

16:14

then I recognize this as a critical

16:14

issue and it's being addressed

16:18

in variable ways by

16:18

different stakeholders.

16:22

But the reality is that all

16:22

stakeholders need to come together.

16:25

And we're seeing some of

16:25

this play out with the guide

16:30

model, which is a new

16:30

model launched by CMS.

16:33

We've also seen this through collaborative

16:33

evidence-based collaborative care

16:37

models, Dr. Mel Bai and others

16:38

have driven this forward.

16:42

You have a scalable dementia care

16:42

coordination team that then has access,

16:47

coordinate delivery and monitoring

16:47

with the family caregiver,

16:50

patient counseling, self-management. You have memory care mental

16:52

health practitioners,

16:55

you have community resources

16:55

and primary care providers,

16:57

but that model also needs

16:57

supportive reimbursement.

17:01

Often we think about the

17:01

payment model and then, okay,

17:04

how do we box the care

17:04

into the payment model?

17:08

But it's really about what

17:08

is the care that people with

17:12

dementia and their caregivers need

17:17

with dignity and respect, and then how do we pay for that

17:18

effectively and where the various

17:23

approaches are going to be. So I

17:23

think there's certainly technology and

17:27

innovation that can help support

17:27

this using those solutions

17:32

as enablers to augment the work of care

17:32

teams that can improve the condition and

17:36

integration of care services for

17:36

individuals. Alzheimer's disease,

17:40

whether it's telemedicine,

17:40

voice activation,

17:43

predicting needs that may be necessary.

17:48

We're seeing this some with

17:48

around drug discovery as well as

17:53

artificial intelligence. But I

17:53

think that addressing health equity,

17:58

supporting innovation and addressing

17:58

affordability is really the pillars of the

18:02

CMS Innovation Center strategy

18:02

that the guide model supports.

18:06

And I suspect that more will

18:06

come on board, but we've seen

18:12

U-C-S-F-U-C-L-A and a number

18:12

of other academic centers

18:17

take these collaborative dementia care

18:17

models and move them into clinical

18:21

programs. And so we need

18:21

more of that happening.

18:24

We know there's evidence

18:24

about model today that works,

18:27

and we should test how we can

18:27

enhance those models that create

18:33

AAD a support for the dyad, those suffering from the DS and the

18:34

disease and those caring for 'em.

18:38

And I'm excited to see what emerges.

18:41

And we too are very

18:41

excited about guide and

18:46

implementing the models.

18:46

So thinking about that,

18:49

thinking about even the

18:49

potential solutions,

18:52

you had talked earlier Dr.

18:52

B about those underserved

18:56

populations. So what are

18:56

some unique barriers?

18:59

We know that African-Americans

18:59

and Hispanics are

19:04

disproportionately

19:04

affected by this disease.

19:06

And so what are some unique barriers? We're going to talk a little

19:09

about solutions in a little bit,

19:12

but what are some unique barriers that

19:12

we have to consider when we're developing

19:16

out innovations and solutions? So what's the barriers for

19:18

underserved populations?

19:22

I think one, as we think about

19:22

building on just the care model,

19:25

it's one in which the workforce

19:25

and the caregivers can

19:30

operate reliably and effectively.

19:30

And often if I see a patient,

19:35

it's 15 to 30 minutes the followup's,

19:35

15 new patient's, 30 minutes,

19:40

imagine how we are to get what

19:40

we need done in that time.

19:43

So you've got to think about what is the

19:43

continuum, what do you focus on there?

19:47

How do you have other players

19:47

on the team play a role?

19:50

How does technology enable

19:50

some of the support?

19:53

So I think you've got to think through

19:53

that model for your population.

19:57

One of the things is digital literacy. So we kind of think about what's

19:59

our own genius bar for patients that

20:04

need support with various

20:04

tools and the support for

20:09

caregivers. I think the other piece around treatment,

20:13

clinical trial diversity,

20:17

we know that we got to

20:17

continue to advance that,

20:21

although black Americans are twice as

20:21

likely as white Americans have Alzheimer's

20:24

and Hispanics, but 1.5 times likely we see

20:25

the clinical trial participants

20:31

don't reflect that.

20:31

I think in some of the more recent ones,

20:35

we've seen the Hispanic

20:35

community be represented better,

20:38

but still tough for the black community. And to the point made earlier

20:40

about rural communities,

20:42

I think that's a really

20:42

important issue as well.

20:45

And so as think about care models

20:45

got to account for the rural

20:50

needs as well. So I think when I think

20:50

about equity and inequities space,

20:55

it's racial and ethnic, certainly

20:55

disproportionately impacted,

20:58

but it's place-based

20:58

too. And it's veterans.

21:01

It's people that have had experiences

21:01

that may put them at higher

21:06

risk for dementia, and then it's the

21:06

social support and the caregivers,

21:10

which is a barrier. Some of them may not have the ability

21:11

to have caregiver support and if it's

21:15

unpaid even harder. So I think these are ones that

21:17

we've got to have the model and

21:22

stakeholders solve for. Yeah, absolutely. So Ashley,

21:27

when you mentioned clinical

21:27

trials and even participating,

21:30

I wondered to the US Pointer study, which really focused on

21:32

underserved communities,

21:35

what were some of the barriers that

21:35

really stood out to you all as you were

21:38

trying to not only recruit them

21:38

but then offer some of those

21:43

solutions? Absolutely. So we were lucky here in Houston for

21:45

the US pointer study and the US pointer

21:49

study overall to achieve over,

21:52

for the study overall 30%

21:52

participants of color in Houston,

21:55

we achieved 45% participants

21:55

of color for the US pointer,

21:58

which is focused on a lifestyle

21:58

intervention to reduce those at high risk.

22:04

But you enroll them in the study, how do you ensure that they still

22:06

participate and still make it to required

22:11

appointments and meetings and

22:11

transportation was a big issue for us,

22:15

and especially living in a

22:15

community that is a car based or

22:20

with limited great strong

22:20

public transportation.

22:23

So we were creative with

22:23

Ubers or with helping.

22:29

We often took meetings or

22:29

took appointments out to

22:33

home. And this was one benefit of

22:33

having our affiliation with our

22:38

medical group is their clinics are in

22:38

the communities so we could see patients

22:43

at the clinics that were closest to them

22:43

to reduce that transportation barrier.

22:49

These were little pieces

22:49

that we put in place,

22:51

but I agree the rural health is

22:51

something that I hope that we

22:56

can be innovative on. That was my

22:56

grandmother in a very rural setting.

23:00

And how do you get the care to her and

23:00

how do you get the diagnosis to her or

23:05

the ability to diagnose to her as well?

23:08

There's conversations we had at a meeting

23:08

yesterday of care at home or assessing

23:13

and testing people at home

23:13

where they are more comfortable,

23:18

but also where you have an opportunity

23:18

to assess their social determinants of

23:21

health that may be playing a role

23:21

in both their current care and

23:26

future care. And that kind of brings me to kind of

23:29

the other barrier that we think about.

23:32

And so Katie, what barriers come to mind?

23:35

And she mentioned social

23:35

determinants of health,

23:38

but what are other barriers that come

23:38

to mind among these diverse communities?

23:42

So when you think about these.

23:44

Older adults, they of course have some nuanced

23:45

healthcare needs that are really often

23:49

compounded by complex social issues.

23:51

And so if diagnosis occurs later,

23:55

it is typically what I just said

23:55

in the later stages of the disease.

23:59

And these individuals are more

23:59

cognitively and physically impaired

24:04

and therefore in need of more

24:04

medical care. So as a result,

24:08

the populations really are at a

24:08

greater risk, poor health outcomes,

24:13

they may receive inadequate care

24:13

or encounter barriers to care,

24:18

and they also face some staggering

24:18

treatment and care expenses.

24:23

So I know we're not

24:23

talking about solutions,

24:27

but I'm excited to get to that part. Yeah, absolutely. And it's actually

24:29

a great time to pivot to that.

24:33

And so we've identified and we've thought

24:33

about the barriers, transportation,

24:38

location, finances, language,

24:38

culturally competent,

24:43

all those things. But let's think about and pivot

24:44

to opportunities to improve

24:49

access. So Ashley, with a

24:49

complex healthcare system,

24:54

what have you seen actually

24:54

improves access to care.

24:59

With the system we're affiliated with, I've seen the leveraging

25:00

technology for virtual care,

25:05

both video visits and

25:05

also just virtual eVisits

25:10

or email-based visits

25:10

that you can conduct,

25:13

but that allows individuals

25:13

to have access to their

25:17

subspecialists and their primary care

25:17

in a more convenient timeframe in their

25:22

setting that is comfortable to them

25:22

and allow them to reduce some of those

25:27

transportation barriers. Now

25:27

you reduce transportation,

25:30

but you also increase technology,

25:30

potential technology barriers.

25:34

So what are we going to do there

25:34

and how do you address that?

25:36

And that is something that I think

25:36

is an ongoing question for all of us

25:40

today. So those are the pieces.

25:43

And then also taking care to the home. The facility we're affiliated with has

25:47

a care team that goes into the home of

25:51

individuals that those that are high risk

25:51

to help reduce those readmissions and

25:55

to ensure some of the coordination occurs

25:55

in particular after a discharge from a

26:00

hospital. Certainly.

26:02

And that's a great way to think

26:02

about going to the patient,

26:07

meeting them where they are. So we know that collaboration

26:10

in healthcare is key. In fact,

26:14

Dr. Bott has made reference

26:14

to that several times, right?

26:17

That the system is fragmented, but

26:17

there's opportunity for collaboration.

26:22

So Dr. Bott, what strategies can be implemented to

26:22

improve the coordination and integration

26:26

of care? You alluded to guide earlier.

26:29

And so thinking about navigating

26:29

multiple care systems,

26:33

you mentioned guide earlier, but what does that look like

26:35

in a solution for this care?

26:39

How do we improve that? And what are other thoughts about getting

26:41

this type of solution integrated into

26:46

the healthcare ecosystem? I would say that we have

26:48

evidence-based models,

26:52

the collaborative care model

26:52

that's been in play, that work.

26:57

The question is whether

26:57

there's will and desire to

27:03

implement those and scale 'em. Some of them may require

27:05

additional resources or investment,

27:08

but you could take the existing

27:08

approach of where you are

27:14

in a care setting and think

27:14

about what are the needs

27:19

that individual may have and

27:19

organize the workflows around that.

27:22

So there are alerts and various tools to help

27:25

early identification. And so I had

27:33

a few years ago, a high school

27:33

math teacher and I said,

27:39

tell me about how work is. Is it you feel like you're

27:41

operating at the same pace,

27:44

you're doing things appropriately, or

27:44

is it taking you longer or is it not?

27:48

And you can do a mini

27:48

mental status or the exam,

27:51

but asking people about what's happening

27:51

in their life elicits like, oh no,

27:55

actually it's slower. I need help for using spreadsheets

27:57

that once I really knew how to use.

28:03

So that signals, okay, I got to get this person

28:05

into an evaluation process

28:09

help you in that. So I think that one is figuring out

28:10

helping people work at the top of their

28:15

training. And medical assistants can play a role

28:15

as they do in our situation where we have

28:19

limited time and capacity. Our

28:19

care coordinators play a role.

28:22

If you have Medicaid managed care, the

28:22

care coordination can be supported there.

28:27

If it's with duals and Medicare,

28:30

there are other supports as well. And then I would say one of the recent

28:32

studies we launched was around employers

28:36

and that employers could catalyze

28:36

initial 20 years of health span.

28:40

So that's healthier life and longer

28:40

life for everyone and disproportionately

28:44

more for Alaska natives,

28:46

American Indians and the black community.

28:46

And part of it was using the

28:51

prevention methods, the science and

28:51

the approaches we already have today.

28:56

So there's a difference between

28:56

lifespan, which is longer life,

28:58

but maybe poor quality

28:58

of life and health span,

29:01

which is longer and healthier life.

29:03

And so we've got to address some of the

29:03

drivers of health that Ashley and Katie

29:07

have alluded to as part of that model.

29:12

And I also think that we're seeing

29:12

some technology approaches how to AI to

29:16

predict how the condition will affect

29:16

the brain physically over time or predict

29:20

how symptoms will change over time. So then that allows you to plan more

29:21

effectively for the future or genetic

29:26

profiles and create models of predict

29:26

who might more likely to develop later in

29:29

life this condition so that along with

29:29

sensors and technology to understand how

29:34

a person's behavior is

29:34

shifting or changing.

29:36

Are they doing something that's more

29:36

risky or signs that the health is

29:40

deteriorating? Absolutely. Thank you. Ashley.

29:45

How can healthcare professionals be

29:45

better equipped and trained to provide

29:48

culturally competent and person-centered

29:48

care for individuals living with

29:53

Alzheimer's disease? I personally believe that this

29:55

is something that in Houston

30:00

with the local chapter of

30:00

the Alzheimer's Association,

30:03

our organization has done well.

30:06

And I think it is partnering with

30:06

organizations within the community that

30:10

understand the cultural

30:10

barriers of groups.

30:14

So beyond just the Alzheimer's Association, working with specific groups in your

30:16

community and those members of the

30:21

leadership that can explain

30:21

how those communities

30:26

approach different aspects of healthcare

30:26

because everyone is different.

30:30

But I feel that the partnership that we

30:30

have with Alzheimer's Association has

30:34

done a wonderful job of training the

30:34

physicians through continuing education,

30:38

the nursing staff, et cetera. Absolutely.

30:42

And that's one of the reasons why Katie's

30:42

here today because that is really the

30:46

goal of the mission engagement

30:46

division is to really focus

30:51

on not only creating that, but

30:51

really learning from the field.

30:56

We will go out to the health systems,

30:59

we hear from their needs around training

30:59

and then really provide that so we can

31:04

develop that in real time. So Katie,

31:07

any other additional information that

31:07

you'd like to share about how we're

31:12

really supporting the

31:12

training and equipping

31:18

our folks out there that

31:18

are delivering this care?

31:21

Yeah, sure. So everybody

31:21

on this call knows

31:28

that Alzheimer's is a

31:28

complex brain disease.

31:30

So we do believe it's very likely that

31:30

there's going to need to be multiple

31:34

strategies that can reduce risk and

31:34

address the disease in several different

31:39

ways along an individual's life course and

31:44

underrepresented and underserved

31:44

communities we discussed or

31:48

disproportionately impacted,

31:50

and they're less likely to be diagnosed

31:50

and less likely to be recruited to

31:55

participate in research and

31:55

clinical trials like we've shared.

31:58

They're less likely to have access

31:58

to that care and support services.

32:03

And I think Javin mentioned that

32:03

this has got to change and we must do

32:08

better. And so the conversation we believe

32:08

starts with your patients about brain

32:13

health. And just as with

32:13

other chronic conditions,

32:15

the best way to reduce risk

32:15

and detect problems early

32:20

and improve safety and quality of

32:20

care is really to act now. So as

32:25

individuals are managing

32:25

other chronic conditions,

32:28

it is critical to be

32:28

aware of dementia risk.

32:33

And so the Alzheimer's Association, we've been partnering with payers and

32:34

health plans and systems across the

32:38

country really to identify strategies

32:38

and solutions that can provide people

32:43

living with dementia and their caregivers

32:43

just access to these providers and

32:47

systems that prioritize diagnosis and

32:47

care. And for us, that comes in many,

32:52

many forms. It could be

32:52

new digital toolkits,

32:55

it could be continuing education,

32:58

it could be us building

32:58

out recognition programs

33:02

or coaching products and

33:02

building out assessments to help

33:07

people understand where they

33:07

are and where they need to go.

33:10

So really this education for providers,

33:13

we're trying to heighten awareness and

33:13

access to detection and diagnose and of

33:18

course enhanced care coordination,

33:18

the management and access,

33:21

and then ultimately really reduce

33:21

that economic burden of this just

33:25

devastating disease, both for

33:25

people living with the disease,

33:30

the caregivers and healthcare systems,

33:32

and I want to say in all communities

33:32

and really emphasize in all

33:37

communities. Absolutely. And we know, and you

33:39

all have alluded to it already,

33:43

that probably innovation is going

33:43

to be a really critical role to

33:48

help overcome this. So if we think about entrepreneurs

33:49

who may be here today as they think

33:54

about innovation, let's talk about how innovation

33:55

is going to play a role.

34:01

And so I'm wondering, Katie,

34:01

do you have any more comments?

34:04

Would you think about

34:04

technology or innovation,

34:07

how it can be leveraged in specific ways?

34:11

Sure. Currently half of all primary care

34:13

physicians in the United States

34:17

report that they feel unprepared

34:17

to treat patients with dementia.

34:22

And so to respond to this

34:22

challenge in particular,

34:24

the association launched Project Echo,

34:27

which connects leading dementia care

34:27

specialists with care providers in

34:31

communities with high need. And ECHO stands for extension

34:33

in community health outcomes.

34:38

And it's through a knowledge

34:38

sharing that Project Echo is able to

34:43

bring these dementia care

34:43

expertise to local community.

34:46

So it's based on a model created

34:46

at the University of New Mexico

34:51

and Project Echo is really bringing

34:51

mentoring and support from teams of

34:55

specialists to primary care and long-term

34:55

providers in underserved communities.

35:00

So we are trying to increase early

35:00

and accurate diagnosis of dementia

35:06

and that grows affordable high quality

35:06

care and support in these underserved

35:11

areas. We've got some interesting

35:11

statistics too because since

35:15

20 18, 70 2% of long-term care

35:20

respondents strongly agreed or agreed

35:20

that Project Echo improved the quality of

35:25

care. Another stat is 427

35:26

providers have completed

35:30

Project Echo, and I think the one that we're all

35:31

really proud of is almost half a

35:36

million covered lives have been impacted.

35:39

So we know that Project Echo is

35:39

just one example of how innovation

35:43

and technology can be leveraged

35:43

to improve not only clinical

35:48

education but also quality of care

35:48

and then of course health outcomes.

35:54

Thank you. And yes, we have seen a lot of impact

35:55

from our dementia project Echo,

35:59

which is focused on primary

35:59

care. Dr. Bra, what about you?

36:03

When you think about technology and

36:03

innovation and leveraging it to improve

36:08

access to care, what

36:08

comes to mind for you?

36:14

I think there's what already talked about

36:17

around virtual and digital care.

36:20

So that's sort of one

36:20

around just care delivery.

36:25

There's other elements to consider

36:25

around practical and reliable tools to

36:28

identify and monitor the person's

36:28

cognitive, functional, behavioral,

36:32

psychological needs and certainly

36:32

the typically unpaid caregiver

36:37

stress. So there's opportunities to use

36:38

technology in those areas as well.

36:44

How do you continuously evaluate and

36:44

modify a personalized dementia care plan

36:48

That is something can be

36:48

done by the caregiver or with

36:53

other clinical team members.

36:53

Doesn't always need to be

37:01

a clinician that's delivering care that's a nurse practitioner

37:04

or a physician or a pa.

37:07

I mean the other is implementation of

37:07

psychosocial interventions aimed at

37:12

preventing or reducing the diet's

37:12

burden related to cognitive,

37:16

functional and behavioral needs. And then I would say tools to help

37:19

navigate the system and the community of

37:23

resources and needs that individuals

37:23

may have. And then we already see

37:28

technology oriented around

37:28

supporting patients with social

37:32

needs. So there are a number of

37:33

solutions around social

37:38

needs that you can refer,

37:40

navigate people through and then close

37:40

the loop that they've been delivered.

37:45

I would say the other is around some

37:45

of the areas I alluded to earlier

37:49

about the use of AI machine

37:49

learning and sensors

37:55

as well. And then I think voice

37:56

activated tools to generate,

38:00

provide information or guidance or

38:00

even for a caregiver to check in

38:06

on a patient with

38:06

Alzheimer's or other things.

38:08

And I would say that I think we've got

38:08

to do more around managing the agitation

38:13

and the behavioral change that Alzheimer's

38:13

patients experience and how that has

38:17

an impact in their life and

38:17

the life of the caregiver.

38:21

And then the think about the environment

38:21

and how do you create an environment

38:26

that's conducive to minimizing risk and

38:26

harm for those patients. Alzheimer's,

38:30

for example, falling

38:30

may be a consideration.

38:32

So I know that folks in Europe,

38:32

particularly in Denmark,

38:36

taught their patients how to

38:36

fall to minimize injury and risk.

38:41

So these are some of the areas in

38:41

addition to augmenting care models,

38:46

we know work to try to move the needle.

38:50

And I think it can seem overwhelming. So it's just picking what's the one

38:52

thing you're going to try to move in the

38:56

next six months and then six months

38:56

after that to try to have a longitudinal

39:00

plan but in bite-size, practical chunks.

39:05

Well, I appreciate all of that you said,

39:07

because the other thing that you

39:07

really identified when you think about

39:09

innovation is yes, you address

39:09

things like technology and ai,

39:14

but you also thought about

39:14

just thinking outside the box.

39:17

Teaching someone to fall and fall well

39:17

is an innovative way of thinking that

39:22

can prevent harm. And so sometimes

39:22

thinking out of the box. So Ashley,

39:27

what about you? I know you have some experience having

39:28

some new innovation in your practice.

39:32

So tell us where you see innovation

39:32

and technology play a role in improving

39:37

access. I think that it's a great

39:39

frontier and so many

39:43

opportunities are ahead for

39:43

improving access with technology.

39:48

And also this goes a little

39:48

bit to what the pitch

39:53

competition was last year in

39:53

improving testing capabilities within

39:57

primary care or earlier

39:57

detection within primary care.

40:00

And I think they work hand in hand. One of the things I would

40:03

say for organizations,

40:07

startups that are looking to innovate

40:07

in these areas and to be able to move

40:12

into health systems, it's showing the

40:12

ROI being able to demonstrate what it is.

40:16

And to Dr. Bot's point of point,

40:21

be very specific and focus on what

40:21

you can do initially and focus on

40:26

what the codes are that

40:26

are associated with your

40:31

technology or your innovation and how

40:31

that will play out within a health system.

40:35

And understanding general operations

40:35

of a health system and how different

40:39

practices work and every

40:39

organization is different,

40:42

but to get in the door is to have that

40:42

basic understanding and to be able to

40:46

clearly demonstrate the ROI and what

40:46

you value your technology or your

40:51

innovation brings not only to the patient,

40:54

but to the providers and the organization

40:54

overall I think is imperative to be

40:58

able to move forward in this area. Yeah, absolutely.

41:01

And that's part of why we created the

41:01

Alzheimer's Association Innovation

41:04

Roundtable and have our pitch

41:04

competition because we know that

41:09

more innovation is needed and it's

41:09

an opportunity to really share that.

41:12

And as Ashley said, based

41:12

on the winner last year,

41:16

she liked what she saw and she began

41:16

to put more innovation in her system.

41:21

So we have a lot of questions, so

41:21

hopefully we can get through some of them.

41:26

So first question is what

41:26

are the top low hanging fruit

41:30

opportunities that you

41:30

see that should be in the

41:34

ecosystem of startups but isn't?

41:38

So where are those gaps in that ecosystem?

41:43

And then why isn't a solution?

41:48

Let's see, a little bit of a typo,

41:48

but taking care of loved ones.

41:52

I think that's the question. So where are the low hanging fruit

41:54

opportunities for the startups

41:59

and potentially even solutions

41:59

for loved ones or caregivers?

42:04

Dr. bha, I might call on you for that one because

42:05

you've talked a little bit about that.

42:14

I think I would just reference back to

42:17

some of our earlier points on

42:22

thinking about where there's opportunity

42:22

to help coordinate services more

42:26

effectively, helping drive

42:26

navigation and care planning

42:32

tools that can help educate

42:32

more effectively caregivers

42:37

and patients earlier on in the process

42:37

about what to expect and how to

42:42

plan for it. I think this is

42:42

something that if you plan for,

42:47

it's not going to be perfect

42:47

and can still have challenges,

42:51

but can mitigate a lot of

42:51

what may happen that may

42:56

lead to suffering or poor

42:56

care or hospital visits or

43:01

acceleration of the condition. So whether it's medication support from

43:09

orienting people to familiar environments

43:09

to knowing they even think about,

43:15

we have medically

43:15

tailored meals for people,

43:19

what about medically tailored

43:19

playlists for those with dementia?

43:24

Helping people think

43:24

about what helps them stay

43:29

grounded and things that are

43:29

familiar and manage for that

43:34

agitation. So I think there's a lot

43:36

of places to start between

43:41

supporting people through

43:41

treatment, catching them earlier,

43:44

and supporting them to monitoring their

43:44

journey to supporting care coordination

43:49

and caregiver services and helping support managing

43:54

and updating a care plan.

43:58

Absolutely. Thank you. So we had one

43:58

question here about the US pointer study,

44:02

so we can send out, so I don't

44:02

know, Ashley, if you have a second,

44:05

you can drop a link in. If not,

44:05

we can certainly send out more of,

44:09

this study is actually wrapping up.

44:13

It's looking at lifestyle,

44:13

so that's coming soon.

44:16

I believe there's information even on our website, az.org around the pointer study

44:18

that you can learn more about that.

44:23

I'm kind of just going through

44:23

here. Yeah, go ahead Katie.

44:28

I wanted to say one of the first

44:28

questions I did was that I might've

44:32

accidentally deleted, but I saw

44:32

you, so I feel compelled to answer.

44:37

But it was how can the Alzheimer's

44:37

Association help startups?

44:41

And I wanted to share that

44:41

we do offer collaboration in

44:46

pre-competitive environments through

44:46

a few different round tables.

44:49

Most notably is the innovation round

44:49

table that Ashley is a chair of.

44:54

And again, this is a round table that

44:54

brings together innovators, champions,

44:59

experts, thought leaders, really

44:59

across that healthcare sector.

45:03

And they're looking at ways to

45:03

ultimately reduce risk and improve early

45:07

detection, increase access to evidence-based

45:08

person-centered care for those facing

45:12

dementia and Alzheimer's. And then we also have something called

45:14

the Alzheimer's Association Business

45:18

Consortium. And the goal with this group

45:19

is really to advance the

45:23

disease and dementia

45:23

research through innovation,

45:27

and that is through small and

45:27

medium-sized biotech diagnostics,

45:32

medical device and contract

45:32

research organizations.

45:35

So the members of the

45:35

small business consortium,

45:39

they work in areas of common interest,

45:39

again, pre-com competitively,

45:44

so that they can advance the field of

45:44

dementia research and the goals of their

45:49

organization. So the team really provides leadership and

45:52

direction to the group's area of focus,

45:57

which includes collaborations

45:57

and recognition,

46:00

visibility and knowledge and information sharing. And I know we're going to talk a little

46:02

bit later about the pitch competition,

46:05

but these round tables,

46:05

you can find it@az.org,

46:08

are other new ways we are able

46:08

to support those startups.

46:12

Thank you, Katie. Actually, I did

46:12

see that, and you're right then.

46:14

I didn't see it. It had disappeared. So I'm glad that you remembered

46:17

one question in here.

46:20

Is there a way that you can provide

46:20

support for families with members of

46:25

dementia and Alzheimer's?

46:25

Absolutely. So if you go to az.org,

46:29

there is a robust list

46:29

of resources through ALS

46:34

connected and Alz Navigator

46:34

also in your community

46:38

is nearby a local chapter

46:38

that have local in-person

46:43

support groups and education and ongoing.

46:46

Ashley alluded how closely she's been

46:46

working with our Houston chapter.

46:51

So we do have chapters all throughout

46:51

the nation, but whether it's online,

46:55

you can also call her 800 number

46:55

twenty four seven helpline with

47:01

dementia trained care and support persons

47:01

that really support those living with

47:06

the disease and their caregivers.

47:06

So we certainly can help with that,

47:09

but az.org is a great place to start

47:09

with that. Let me read through,

47:13

because we're going to kick it to

47:13

Casey in just a minute this here.

47:18

How would you encourage entrepreneurs to

47:18

make solutions that plug into existing

47:23

ecosystems of care and tech

47:23

tools instead of making countless

47:28

standalone solutions?

47:31

Anyone have a thought

47:31

or comment about that?

47:35

That's a really, I can start one.

47:35

I would say co-creation, co-design,

47:39

who's thinking about with whoever

47:39

the solution is oriented towards,

47:44

and ideally both care team

47:44

member as well as patient and

47:49

family caregiver, caregiver impacted,

47:52

that's one I would say see where

47:52

there's gaps in a geography or in a

47:57

system of care and see

47:57

where you can plug in to

48:02

help address a gap there that

48:02

then could be elsewhere and

48:07

grow. I would see where there's also,

48:13

where we don't necessarily have research

48:13

around aspects of the care model,

48:18

and I do think some of the analytics,

48:18

artificial intelligence, machine learning,

48:22

sensor voice, there's a

48:22

number of open spaces there,

48:27

and I'm not a consumer

48:27

electronics show this year,

48:30

but it'll be interesting to see

48:30

what they have brewing in terms of

48:35

emerging technology that is

48:40

enabling better, safer,

48:43

high quality care for

48:43

patients with dementia.

48:48

And then there is still

48:48

biotech, biopharma,

48:52

MedTech those communities as well.

48:57

Well, this has been an amazing

48:57

discussion and I am so grateful for the

49:02

panelists today. So now I would like to

49:04

introduce to you Casey Sheridan.

49:08

She is the partnership manager at

49:08

Matter to provide a brief overview

49:12

of the second annual

49:12

Alzheimer's Association pitch

49:17

are interested in applying.

49:17

So Casey, I'll hand it to you.

49:22

Awesome, thank you Laura, and thank

49:22

you so much, Dr. Bhatt, Ashley,

49:26

Katie, so much for your

49:26

time and expertise today.

49:29

That was a fantastic

49:29

discussion. Like Laura said,

49:34

matter is thrilled to be powering

49:34

and partnering with the Alzheimer's

49:38

Association on our second

49:38

annual pitch competition,

49:41

and I'm going to spend just a couple of

49:41

minutes here providing a few details for

49:46

those that are listening

49:46

in that are interested in

49:52

So to start off, as we mentioned earlier,

49:55

the focus for this

49:55

year's pitch competition,

49:58

our solutions that are working to

49:58

increase access to quality person-centered

50:02

care for underserved people living

50:02

with Alzheimer's disease or related

50:06

dementias. So if you are a solution

50:06

that's working towards this goal,

50:11

then you absolutely qualify and we

50:11

encourage you to apply to this program.

50:17

So this is a high level snapshot of the

50:17

timeline that we are working towards.

50:22

So applications are currently

50:22

open. My colleague Kay,

50:27

who's on the Zoom here is about to

50:27

drop the application link in the chat

50:32

so you can check out

50:32

more information there.

50:35

Applications will close a

50:35

week from Friday, so Friday,

50:38

January 19th at midnight central time.

50:42

From there we'll have a review and

50:42

selection committee that'll be carefully

50:46

reviewing all the applications and we'll

50:46

announce the top five finalists who

50:50

will be moving forward in the

50:50

program by February 7th of this year.

50:56

From there, we'll have those five

50:56

finalists participate in a

51:01

weeks long from February

51:01

12th to March 18th,

51:06

receiving expert mentorship and

51:06

exclusive resources to build their

51:10

solutions and to refine

51:10

their value propositions.

51:16

Lastly, the program will culminate in a pitch

51:16

competition that'll be in person

51:22

at matters offices in downtown

51:22

Chicago on Tuesday, March 19th,

51:27

where the five finalists will have an

51:27

opportunity to pitch their solution to

51:31

a panel of industry experts

51:31

as well as a live audience,

51:35

both in person and virtually of

51:35

key stakeholders in the room.

51:40

The first place startup will

51:40

be awarded a cash prize,

51:44

$15,000 and a six month

51:44

comp matter membership.

51:48

And the second and third place startups

51:48

will receive a cash prize of $5,000

51:53

each four submission criteria.

51:59

These are the four kind of main

51:59

boxes to check to make sure

52:04

that you are all good to apply to

52:07

the program. So again,

52:10

we're seeking entrepreneurs who are

52:10

developing solutions that are working to

52:14

increase access to quality person-centered

52:14

care for underserved people living

52:17

with Alzheimer's disease

52:17

or related dementias.

52:21

This is a global call for solutions, so it does not matter

52:23

where you are in the world.

52:26

We're accepting solutions that are

52:26

both based in the US and across

52:31

the rest of the world. Our programs also open to individuals

52:35

and teams from across the entire

52:40

healthcare innovation ecosystem. So

52:40

whether you're a university researcher,

52:44

if you're a student, if

52:44

you're an entrepreneur,

52:47

if you're already an existing

52:47

startup of any stage,

52:50

you absolutely qualify to apply to

52:50

this program ranging from early stage

52:55

concepts all the way up through marketed

52:55

solutions and full-blown businesses.

53:02

The selection criteria that the

53:02

Review and Selection committee will be

53:06

primarily focused on when reviewing

53:06

your application is detailed here on the

53:11

screen. So first and foremost,

53:13

the ability to clearly articulate

53:13

the challenge statement

53:18

addressed in the program description.

53:20

So if you can convey how

53:20

your solution is working,

53:25

the goal that we outline

53:25

in the challenge statement,

53:28

clearly in your application,

53:28

that will give you huge points.

53:32

We'll also be looking at the quality

53:32

feasibility and scale of your proposed

53:36

solution or technology. We'll be looking at the differentiation

53:38

of your solution within the competitive

53:42

landscape. We'll be assessing

53:42

the capability of you and your

53:46

team to develop and execute the

53:46

solution that you propose and

53:52

as well as the ability of your solution

53:52

to actually increase access to quality

53:56

person-centered care for underserved

53:56

folks living with Alzheimer's disease

54:03

benefit benefits of participation. So the five startups that are

54:05

accepted as finalists into

54:10

the programs will be engaging

54:10

with other cutting edge startups.

54:14

They'll be networking with peers working

54:14

within the same space and leading

54:18

influencers in the space. They'll receive expert mentorship from

54:20

industry leaders and subject matter

54:24

experts to validate their solutions

54:24

and refine their value propositions.

54:28

Accepted startups will gain exposure

54:28

to both the Alzheimer's Association and

54:32

Matter communities. They'll have the opportunity to pitch

54:34

their solution to a live audience

54:39

with potential investors, partners,

54:39

clients, and mentors in the audience.

54:45

That'll be, again, in person in

54:45

Chicago on Tuesday, March 19th,

54:49

as well as the opportunity to win that

54:49

cash prize that I detailed earlier.

54:57

So like I mentioned, the deadline

54:57

to submit is next Friday,

55:00

January 19th at midnight central time.

55:03

If you have any questions between now

55:03

and then about your application or if you

55:07

qualify to apply, please feel free

55:07

to email me. Again, my name is Casey,

55:12

C-I-S-E-Y at Matter Health,

55:15

and I'll be happy to meet with you and

55:15

answer any questions that you have.

55:20

Please visit Matter Health

55:20

slash Challenges to find

55:24

and more background information. And we're excited to read all of your

55:27

applications and get everyone back

55:31

together again at the final

55:31

Pitch Competition on March 19th.

55:36

So that is all we have for today. I want to just say thank you again to

55:38

the Alzheimer's Association for your

55:42

partnership on this

55:42

initiative and many others.

55:45

We love working with you and thank

55:45

you so much, Dr. Bhat, Ashley, Katie,

55:50

and Laura for your time for

55:50

today's program. And lastly,

55:53

thanks to you all who have

55:53

joined our call today.

55:56

We hope that you learned something and

55:56

please feel free to reach out with any

56:00

questions. Hope you have

56:00

a great rest of your day.