Eight Local Public Health Departments Selected to Address Cognitive Health and Dementia

CHICAGO, IL, November 8, 2022 — The Alzheimer’s Association and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) have announced the second cohort of the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) Road Map Strategists. This nationwide effort focuses on addressing dementia at the local level. The Road Map Strategist Initiative increases the capacity of local health departments and tribal health organizations to address brain health in their communities. 

Through the initiative, eight local health departments or tribal organizations are selected each year through a competitive application process to receive direct funding, training, and technical assistance. With these resources, they establish a part-time HBI Road Map Strategist, a public health professional who serves as a systems change agent working to advance population health approaches related to dementia.

“Public health departments and tribal health organizations are critical partners in advancing brain health in our local communities. This new cohort will be a part of a broader, national community all working to increase public health action,” said Shelby Roberts, director of the Healthy Brain Initiative.

The local public health departments and tribal health organization selected for 2023 represent a diverse cohort, in terms of health department size and structure, geography, and populations served: 

• Alaska — Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association.

• California — Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

• Georgia — West Central Health District.

• North Dakota — Barnes City-County Health District.

• Ohio — Franklin County Public Health.

• Tennessee — Knox County Health Department.

• Texas — Cameron County Public Health.

• Wisconsin — Village of Greendale Health Department.

The awardees will designate a part-time HBI Road Map Strategist, a public health official working in support and coordination with public health partners, including health systems. With guidance from the Alzheimer’s Association and NACCHO and peer support, Road Map Strategists will conduct a public health needs assessment, train local officials and key community partners, and lead implementation of public health action on dementia, informed by guidance from the State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018-2023 Road Map.

“As we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, building the capacity of local health departments and their cross-sectoral partners is essential to protecting and improving the health of the populations they serve. This program is an excellent opportunity to build health department and partner capacity to take a collaborative, systems approach for reducing dementia risk, enhancing cognitive health, and supporting caregivers, among other Road Map actions. NACCHO is proud to partner with the Association in this program’s second year,” said Peter L. Holtgrave, MA, MPH, senior director of public health infrastructure and systems, NACCHO.

The Road Map Strategists are funded by the HBI, a collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alzheimer’s Association. The HBI has been a catalyst for securing collection of state data on Alzheimer’s-related issues, developing public health road maps to guide public health agencies in addressing Alzheimer’s and developing the first public health curriculum on Alzheimer’s for public health students and professionals. The HBI Road Map Strategist initiative is the next important step to address Alzheimer’s and cognitive health through public health intervention at the local level.

About the Alzheimer's Association

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

The Healthy Brain Initiative