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Donate NowRalph H. Johnson Health Care System Becomes First Veterans Affairs Site to Join ALZ-NET
— Collaboration aims to improve care for Veterans living with Alzheimer’s disease —
CHICAGO and CHARLESTON, SC, April 6, 2026 — The Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System in Charleston, South Carolina, is the first VA site to join the Alzheimer’s Network for Treatment and Diagnostics (ALZ-NET). The milestone marks an important step in expanding research collaboration between VA and the Alzheimer’s Association — with the shared goal of improving care for the estimated 500,000 U.S. military Veterans currently living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Launched in 2021, ALZ-NET is the first nationwide registry designed to collect real-world clinical and imaging data from people being evaluated for Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Alzheimer’s disease therapies. By connecting clinicians, researchers and health systems to data from their own patients as well as sites across the country, ALZ-NET empowers doctors to make faster, data-driven decisions earlier in the course of diagnosis and treatment.
Amyloid plaques are abnormal deposits of protein that accumulate in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and negatively affect cognitive function. In 2023, the FDA approved the first monoclonal antibody treatment targeting these plaques, and later that year, VA announced coverage for amyloid-targeting therapies.
In the fall of 2023, VA opened the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias National Coordinating Center (ADRD NCC), based in Charleston, to provide amyloid-targeting treatment to Veterans and coordinate efforts to bring research, new medicines, and clinical practice closer together across the VA health system. The center is now expanding its network of affiliations by joining ALZ-NET and also has plans to expand within VA with sites in Pittsburgh, Albany and more.
VA’s participation in ALZ-NET is being managed by the ADRD NCC as part of its mission to integrate clinical and research services to improve care for Veterans with Alzheimer’s disease. Centralizing certain activities within ADRD NCC will allow more VA sites to be incorporated into ALZ-NET.
Joining ALZ-NET allows VA clinicians to contribute real-world data on how newly approved therapies perform in Veteran patients. The goal is twofold: ensuring Veterans receive high-quality, closely monitored care today while generating insights that can improve future diagnosis and treatment.
“Joining ALZ-NET strengthens our commitment to transform research with the goal of improving clinical care for our patient population,” said Grant D. Huang, MPH, Ph.D., VA acting chief research and development officer. “VA and the Alzheimer’s Association share a sense of urgency to help Veterans living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and we’re proud to be part of this important effort. We salute the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System’s leadership in establishing a nationwide pathway for all VA centers to onboard with ALZ-NET to further support this mission.”
“We are energized by this partnership to support Veterans living with Alzheimer’s, along with their families and caregivers,” said Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D., chief science officer and medical affairs lead at the Alzheimer’s Association. “We look forward to connecting more VA medical centers nationwide to ALZ-NET’s robust resources to support the best care possible for Veterans.”
By participating in ALZ-NET, patients living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia can support advancements in research to improve treatment and care across all communities. Patients, families and caregivers who participate in ALZ-NET through their health care providers will always have access to support and resources through the Alzheimer’s Association. Interested patients and caregivers can learn more at alz-net.org.
ALZ-NET supports evidence-based diagnosis, treatment and quality care while reducing the burden of clinical assessment, monitoring and care planning. Interested VA clinicians and researchers can learn more at alznetproviders.org.
To learn more about VA’s research on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, visit the Alzheimer’s topic page.
About the Alzheimer's Association
The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Our mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's and all other dementia®. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.