RCI News Center

PCS project, VHA employees receive top awards

Two employees from the Memphis VA Medical Center were presented with the Rosalynn Carter Institute Leadership in Caregiving Award at VA’s National Leadership Board meeting inWashington, DC on February 18, 2009. Dr. Linda Nichols and Dr. Jennifer Martindale-Adams are the Principal Investigators for the REACH (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregivers Health) VA project. They were presented with a statuette by Dr. Michael Kussman, Undersecretary for Health and Laura Bauer Granberry, Director of National Initiatives of the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving.

Nichols and Martindale-Adams were recognized for their role in developing and executing the caregiver assistance pilot program designed to raise the standard of care provided to caregivers and patients with dementia through use of evidence-based interventions proven by rigorous scientific research. REACH VA represents the first national clinical application of a proven dementia intervention that focuses on information, safety, caregiver health and behavior management for the veteran who is receiving the care. Additionally, the six month intervention utilizes individual and group sessions to help caregivers manage their own stress and coping.

The award-winning project is a partnership between VA and the Memphis VA Medical Center, with close coordination through Geriatrics & Extended Care Services (GEC) and Care Management and Social Work Service (CMSWS). GEC's Tom Edes and CMSWS’s Heather Mahoney-Gleason made major contributions to the project.

“The award recognized innovative partnerships between community agencies and caregiving researchers that bridge the gap between science and practice,” Bauer Granberry said. VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Michael J. Kussman said, "The success of the pilot project has led to expansion of the REACH VA program. Clinical staff from 24 VA Medical Center Home-Based Primary Care programs in 15 states have volunteered to learn and deliver the intervention to stressed caregivers of dementia patients. This award from the Rosalynn Carter Institute shows that the VA’s programs are designed to address the needs of caregivers as well as provide compassionate care for our nation’s veterans.”

This award includes a $10,000 check which will help fund the continuation of the project. It is based on the REACH II study funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute of Nursing Research.