At a luncheon in Knoxville on Nov. 5, the Pat Summitt Foundation celebrated its 15‑year anniversary and announced a five‑year strategic plan designed to close the growing gap between advances in Alzheimer’s disease treatment and families’ ability to access care.
Why the plan matters for local families
East Tennessee families facing a dementia diagnosis often endure long waits for specialists, limited access to memory‑care experts, and the emotional and financial strain of daily caregiving. Executive director Morgan Vance said the new plan provides a clearer framework to address these challenges.
Key findings from the foundation’s white paper
The foundation’s report, Alzheimer’s Disease and the Growing Concern: Rising Gaps in Diagnosis, Treatment and Access to Care, highlights that more than 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older lived with Alzheimer’s in 2025, and over 12 million Americans provided unpaid care, an effort valued at $446 billion.
Rural communities are hit hardest, with fewer neurologists, memory‑care specialists, and limited access to emerging therapies.
Investments and resources
Since 2017, the foundation has contributed over $3 million to the University of Tennessee Medical Center, helping establish the Pat Summitt Clinic, which has served more than 33,000 patients from 29 states. The clinic’s multidisciplinary approach underscores the demand for specialized dementia services.
In 2024 the foundation launched Pat’s Gameplan, a free online resource covering legal and financial planning, nutrition, safety and other caregiving concerns. More than $1 million has been invested to expand the site, which has logged over 1 million visits in under two years.
Since 2019, an additional $2 million has been directed to partner organizations throughout the Southeast, reaching an estimated 85,000 people.
Strategic priorities for the next five years
The plan focuses on four pillars: expanding access to trained healthcare professionals, improving coordinated medical services, providing practical assistance for daily caregiving, and strengthening community‑based support networks. While the foundation does not announce new clinic locations at this time, the emphasis is on bringing resources closer to families who cannot easily travel to Knoxville.
Legacy and future outlook
Pat Summitt, the legendary University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach, founded the organization after her own Alzheimer’s diagnosis, using her public platform to raise awareness. The foundation’s work continues her legacy by delivering better information, stronger support, and more accessible care for those affected by dementia.
Local families can explore the resources at Pat’s Gameplan and learn more about the foundation’s findings by reading the full report, Alzheimer’s Disease and the Growing Concern: Rising Gaps in Diagnosis, Treatment and Access to Care.
Original reporting: Knox TN Today — read the source article.
