CEO Update: Alzheimer’s care and research at CMH

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. We have special events at CMH all month to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. But caring for Alzheimer’s is important to us every single day.

The CMH Missouri Memory Center has been on the cutting edge of research related to Alzheimer’s disease and memory loss. Over the last eight years, they’ve participated in a number of studies. It’s really amazing to see how, in a rural hospital, we’re able to do so many great programs related to research and see the advancements in the progress related to care for patients dealing with memory loss.

Continue reading or watch this video to learn more about Alzheimer’s care and research at CMH from Curtis Schreiber, M.D. He is a neurologist at CMH Neurology and Headache Center and medical director of Missouri Memory Center and CMH Research Department in Bolivar. He shares more about what CMH is doing in the area of medical research, particularly relating to Alzheimer’s:

Accurate diagnosis for patients with memory loss is so important for getting to the best of care.

CMH Research History

We started Missouri Memory Center at CMH in Bolivar in 2016, and shortly after we got started, we were privileged to have been a part of the IDEAs study in 2017. The IDEAs study evaluated how advanced brain imaging, amyloid PET scans, could benefit patients and doctors in getting the most accurate diagnosis and move on to the best treatment options for Alzheimer’s disease. In fact, we were proud to be the second-highest enrolling site in the state of Missouri.

Since then, we have been part of national and international research studies evaluating new treatments for patients with Alzheimer’s.

We started small, with just one study. But things have grown quickly. In our research programs, we have now done over 120 special PET scans for Alzheimer’s disease, including amyloid PET scans and tau PET scans. We have done over 300 brain MRI scans and administered over 750 doses of study drug. All here at CMH.

Research Success and the Future

We are proud to be part of the pivotal trial for a new medication for Alzheimer’s disease, called donanemab, which was reviewed by the FDA earlier this month and received unanimous approval from the independent advisory committee. Final FDA approval is expected soon.

We are excited to be part of a study of a new blood test for Alzheimer’s disease, called p-tau217, that may prove to be what everyone has always wanted: a blood test that can accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s.

I want to say special thanks to all of our patients who have volunteered to be part of these important research studies that are making a difference for Alzheimer’s disease treatment. And thanks to our dedicated staff at the CMH Research Department. It is truly a partnership between our dedicated patients and our highly skilled and equally dedicated research staff.

Right now, we are working on not just one but seven studies for Alzheimer’s. In addition, we have been selected for two new studies that have not yet started, and we have another two studies for Alzheimer’s that we are very optimistic we will be bringing to our research department later this year.

Also, we have other research studies that will be starting soon for both multiple sclerosis and migraine headaches.

Anyone interested in what’s going on with research at CMH can call the Research Department at 417-328-7781, or send us an email at CMHResearch@citizensmemorial.com. Another way to check us out is on the CMH Research Department page on the CMH website.

Here at Missouri Memory Center and CMH Research Department, we are proud to be a part of the progress being made in Alzheimer’s disease.

CEO Wrap-Up

A special thanks to Dr. Schreiber and the team at the CMH Missouri Memory Center. Their dedication to this cause and the impact that they’re making on the communities we serve is really amazing and inspires me. I’m thankful for all their efforts.

Michael Calhoun shares the latest happenings at CMH in his monthly CEO Updates. He is the CEO/executive director of CMH and the Citizens Memorial Health Care Foundation.