USC Brain Health Network to provide resources and community support in this underserved area of the state
University of South Carolina Brain Health is establishing a USC Brain Health Network clinic in Lexington County through a collaboration with Lexington Medical Center that will provide residents with timely access to cognitive screenings, evaluations and community support.
USC Brain Health Network clinics bring together patients, caregivers, health care providers and community resource partners to support people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Collaboration is more than one of our values, it's a key factor in our success.
— Dr. Leonardo Bonilha, USC School of Medicine Columbia Senior Associate Dean for Research and USC Brain Health Director
“Collaboration is more than one of our values, it's a key factor in our success,” says Leonardo Bonilha, MD, PhD, USC School of Medicine Columbia Senior Associate Dean for Research and USC Brain Health Director. “In collaboration with health systems statewide, we provide timely access to cognitive care, assist patients and caregivers, and support primary care providers.”
Through existing collaborations with Prisma Health and HopeHealth, USC Brain Health has established cognitive care clinics in Columbia, Darlington, Seneca, Sumter and Winnsboro. In addition to helping patients and their caregivers, these collaborations also support primary care providers in the early detection of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, allowing for improved patient care.
“When we first brought the idea for USC Brain Health to the State House, we knew it would have a major positive impact on our state, but it has been amazing to see just how quickly that impact has grown,” says Julius Fridriksson, USC Vice President for Research. “With Lexington Medical Center, we will help even more SC patients and caregivers and build the infrastructure to expand cutting-edge neuroscience research in the Palmetto State.”
Our collaboration with USC Brain Health is an enormous benefit to our patients and community.
— Dr. Brent Powers, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Lexington Medical Center
“Our collaboration with USC Brain Health is an enormous benefit to our patients and our community. By enhancing our ability to diagnose all types of memory loss to include Alzheimer’s disease earlier, we can provide patients access to the most advanced diagnostics and treatment,” says Brent Powers, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Lexington Medical Center.
South Carolina ranks 8th in the nation for Alzheimer’s disease mortality rates. South Carolinians are at a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias when compared to other states because the population is getting older more quickly, there are high rates of both stroke and heart disease, which is the state’s leading cause of death. Additionally, the state is facing a crisis concerning modifiable risk factors that can contribute to developing Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias including midlife obesity, smoking and hypertension.