Earlier this month, Miami Jewish Health received a $2.5 million gift benefitting South Floridians who need better access to memory and cognitive care to treat disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Benefactor, Frank Scaduto, made the gift to support programing at Miami Jewish Health’s MIND Institute – which has been officially renamed in honor of Mr. Scaduto and his wife, Lynn, to the Frank C. & Lynn Scaduto MIND Institute at Miami Jewish Health.
Florida has the second-highest number of Alzheimer’s disease patients over the age of 65, with Alzheimer’s diagnoses expected to increase 24% in the state by 2025. In addition, Alzheimer’s disease is expected to impact more than 150M Americans by 2050. The impact of how these neurological diseases affect not only the patient, but also their family and friends, led to Mr. Scaduto’s gift.
“During my wife’s post-acute stay at Miami Jewish Health, I realized the extensive aid, human touch, and empathic care that each member provided to her,” said Scaduto. “After meeting with Dr. Agronin, I was disheartened to learn of the rapidly growing number of individuals with neurocognitive disorders and the limited amount of Federal dollars allocated to finding a cure. That’s why I wanted to make a program like this more accessible to seniors in need, and to support research to find a cure for these disorders.”
“Alzheimer’s, dementia, and other neurocognitive disorders are something almost everyone has had a personal experience with. However, this should not just be an accepted part of aging,” said Dr. Marc Agronin, Chief Medical Officer of the Frank C. & Lynn Scaduto MIND Institute at Miami Jewish Health. “New research, access to proper diagnostic and preventative neurocognitive care, and one-on-one support in the face of rising neurological disease rates is vital. This contribution will make a difference in how we offer EmpathiCare℠ to South Floridians.”
The Frank C. & Lynn Scaduto MIND Institute at Miami Jewish Health is committed to working with patients and families together to understand the best treatments and care possible. We provide evaluation & management of neurocognitive disorders, caregiver support, clinical research, and memory coaching that’s focused on hopeful, positive, and action-based therapy. Learn more about how you can support our programs and services.
