Premier Cares Award 2011
19th Annual Monroe E. Trout Premier Cares Aware Recipient 2011
MemoryCare receives national recognition and $70,000 for Alzheimer’s program integrating care of patients and caregivers
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (February 2, 2011) – MemoryCare™ has been honored by the Premier healthcare alliance with the 19th Annual Monroe E. Trout Premier Cares Award for helping families successfully care for their loved ones with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. MemoryCare received the Premier Cares Award and $70,000 for its unhurried, humane approach to caring for older people suffering from dementia while addressing the needs of their caregivers.
Sponsored by Premier and its member hospitals, the Cares Award recognizes exemplary efforts by not-for-profit community organizations to improve the health of populations in need. Representatives of MemoryCare received the Cares Award during Premier’s annual Governance Education Conference held this week in Hollywood, Fla.
Virginia H. Templeton, MD, Director of MemoryCare, said “We are truly honored to be recognized by Premier and know this generous award will make an enormous difference in helping us address the growing need for our services. MemoryCare can now focus on raising the additional charitable funds needed to expand our program to serve more individuals.”
“Memory Care is an example of the power of innovation,” said Janet Moore, Director of Marketing and Web Services for Mission Health System. “They have used Community Benefit grants from Mission to improve our community’s ability to address the needs of dementia patients and their families. They have also helped our staff better understand the unique needs these patients have. Just because you have dementia doesn’t mean that you don’t have other diseases, like diabetes and heart disease. Teaching us how to care for these patients has made Mission a better organization.”
Since 2000, MemoryCare’s three-fold mission has been to provide specialized medical care to older adults with memory loss; support caregivers with education, counseling and improved access to services; and provide community education. Located in Asheville, N.C., the program serves individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia from 19 counties in Western North Carolina. This underserved region already exhibits the aging demographic our country will face in the next two decades. It has been supported by Community Benefit grants from Mission Hospital, a Premier member and tertiary care provider for the region.
A panel of national healthcare leaders selects the winner and five finalists, which all receive cash awards for use in further improving their programs. The Cares Award program spotlights these community-based healthcare initiatives and helps other organizations learn to replicate these best practice programs by featuring information about them on the Cares Award website.
“These organizations represent the spirit of what social responsibility truly means,” said Susan DeVore, Premier’s president and CEO. “Each program truly makes a difference in their communities by helping medically underserved populations gain access to healthcare and knowledge that they may not otherwise receive. The Premier alliance is honored to recognize them for transforming the way healthcare is delivered.”