Alzheimer's Association of Greater Cincinnati

Katie Centner, Summer 2018

Spending this past summer interning at the Alzheimer's Association was a fantastic experience for me. Not only did I learn the inner workings of an incredible non-profit organization, but this experience also shaped how I will practice as a future physician.

My role primarily focused on physician outreach, in that I was responsible for finding ways to reach physician offices in the Greater Cincinnati area, in order to help them better connect their patients with the Alzheimer's Association. The Association is the national expert on Alzheimer's disease and has outstanding resources to offer to families and caregivers that are struggling with a dementia diagnosis. From support groups to family care consultations with a social worker to a 24/7 helpline, every service that the Association offers is completely free. Their emphasis lies heavily on helping the family and caregivers/care partners of those with the disease, which is a refreshing take, as I know that rarely is the patient the only person who is affected by their illness. Knowing that physicians have so little time to spend with their patients and the families of their patients, the Association is desperate to step in and fill the role that the physician cannot. However, this cannot happen if the physician does not connect the family with the Association. Through a program called NextSteps, healthcare providers can fill out a very basic form, essentially with a caregiver's name and contact information, along with verbal consent, and fax it over to the Alzheimer's Association's office. At that point, a clinician from the Association will reach out to the individual to offer whichever services they may find helpful, taking the burden of that first contact off of the likely already overwhelmed caregiver. My summer focused heavily around promoting awareness and use of this particular program.

I know that this experience will shape my career in that it will make me conscientious of what resources I can possibly offer to my patients in the future. Whether I am treating Alzheimer's disease or anything else, I hope that I make a point of educating myself regarding what resources are available to my patients, in order to provide them with the most comprehensive care that I may not have the time to provide myself. Seeing some of the services that the Association offered this past summer, I know that these services are far out of the realm of what a physician can offer. I watched as an experienced social worker sat with the children of an Alzheimer's patient in their own home for 2 hours to help them navigate the difficult road ahead. I truly believe that I would be doing my future patients a disservice by not connecting them with help beyond my own practice, and I am glad that this past summer has left me with this knowledge and experience.