Join our conversation
In person
If you are unable to join with the below options, there will be a physical space reserved in the Foundation for Health Care Quality’s Seattle office to participate in the virtual meeting at the below address:
Industrious 400U @ Rainier Square
400 University Street
Floor 3
Seattle, WA 98101
Online
Background
As the population continues to age quickly, the risk Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias increases. In 2020, there were around 125,116 people living with dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, in Washington state. By 2040, this number is expected to exceed 270,000 people.[i] Individuals living with dementia are hospitalized 2-3 times as often as people of the similar age who do not live with dementia, and estimated cost of medical care for people living with dementia in 2019 was around $50,000.[ii] Washington Medicare beneficiaries living with dementia are significantly more costly than beneficiaries without dementia ($2,229 Per Member Per Month (PMPM) versus $803 PMPM). Early diagnosis is associated with a per-person savings of on average $64,000. People who identify with historically underserved or minoritized populations are less likely than those who identify as White to be diagnosed, are usually diagnosed at a later stage, are less likely to use hospice care, and have a higher risk of hospitalization.[iii] Many people also experience mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that can progress to dementia,[iv] and new biomarker testing strategies can indicate people at higher risk with and without mild cognitive impairment.[v] Since the original Bree Collaborative repot, new evidence has emerged around modifiable risk factors, testing and diagnosis, treatments, care strategies, and payment methodologies, as well as a new Washington State Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias. Updating and aligning recommendations could enhance practices in preventing, diagnosing and treating dementia to improve outcomes and provide cost savings for all Washingtonians.
| Next Meeting | Time | Materials |
| Jan 26th, 2026 | 2:30-4:00pm | Please see below |
Meeting Materials
| Date | Materials |
| January 26th | January Agenda Draft Charter Draft Workplan |
| February 9th | February Agenda January Minutes Draft Workplan / Evidence Table |
| March 9th | March Agenda February Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| April 20th | April Agenda March Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| May 11th | May Agenda April Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| June 8th | June Agenda May Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| July 20th | July Agenda June Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| August 10th | August Agenda July Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| September 14th | September Agenda August Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| October 12th | October Agenda September Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| November 9th | November Agenda October Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| December 14th | December Agenda November Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
Workgroup Members
| Name | Title | Organization |
| Kristoffer Rhoads, PhD, (chair) | Associate Professor | Neuropsychologist | Co-Leader, Project ECHO Dementia | University of Washington | Memory and Brain Wellness Center | UW ADRC Clinical Core |
| Jamie Tueteberg, MS | Director of Healthy Aging Initiatives | Health and Aging Policy Fellow | Washington Health Care Authority |
| Katina Rue, DO, FAAFP, FACOFP | Medical Director | Team Health |
| Carla Ainsworth, MD | Family Medicine Residency Program Director | Kaiser Permanente |
| Allyson Schrier | Caregiver Advocate | |
| Carroll Haymon, MD | Physician Faculty | Clinical Advisor and Consultant | Providence Swedish | AC Haymon Consulting |
| Rodney Anderson, MD | President/Chief Executive Officer | Family Care Network |
| Cathy McCaul, MA | Advocacy Director | American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Washington |
| Laura Cepoi, MA | Executive Director | Olympic Area Agency on Aging |
| Cathy Cooper, MSW, LICSW | Palliative Care Social Worker | Multicare |
| LuPita Gutierrez-Parker | Patient Advocate | |
| Vicki McNealley, PhD, MN, RN | Director of Assisted Living | Washington Health Care Association |
| Lynne Korte, MPH | Dementia Care Policy and Program Analyst/Manager | Washington Department of Social and Health Services |
| Nancy Isenberg, MD | Medical Director | Center for Healthy Aging | Swedish Neuroscience Institute |
| Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe, PhD | Regents Professor | Washington State University |
[i] Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. (2023). Washington State Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias 2023-2028. https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sites/default/files/ALTSA/stakeholders/documents/AD/Washington%20State%20Plan%20to%20Address%20Alzheimer%E2%80%99s%20Disease%20and%20Other%20Dementias%202023-28.pdf
[ii] Lastuka A, Breshock MR, Taylor KV, Dieleman JL. The costs of dementia care by US state: Medical spending and the cost of unpaid caregiving. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2025;105(1):186-196. doi:10.1177/13872877251326231
[iii] Hinton, L., Tran, D., Peak, K., Meyer, O. L., & Quiñones, A. R. (2024). Mapping racial and ethnic healthcare disparities for persons living with dementia: A scoping review. Alzheimer’s and Dementia, 20(4), 3000–3020. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13612
[iv] Salemme S, Lombardo FL, Lacorte E, Sciancalepore F, Remoli G, Bacigalupo I, Piscopo P, Zamboni G, Rossini PM, Cappa SF, Perani D, Spadin P, Tagliavini F, Vanacore N, Ancidoni A. The prognosis of mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Alzheimers Dement (Amst). 2025 Mar 12;17(1):e70074. doi: 10.1002/dad2.70074. Erratum in: Alzheimers Dement (Amst). 2025 Jul 18;17(3):e70150. doi: 10.1002/dad2.70150. PMID: 40078377; PMCID: PMC11898010.
[v] Huszár, Z., Engh, M., Pavlekovics, M. et al. Risk of conversion to mild cognitive impairment or dementia among subjects with amyloid and tau pathology: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Alz Res Therapy 16, 81 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-024-01455-2