(BPT) - While the country faces an ongoing physician shortage, the nationwide neurologist shortage is even greater. Given the needs of an aging population facing conditions, including Alzheimer's, dementia and other cognitive disorders, patients often wait as long as six, nine or even 12 months to see a neurologist.
In South Carolina, which has a higher incidence of Alzheimer's and related dementias than many other states, 11.5% of those over 65 (about 112,000 people) live with the disease. South Carolina has the eighth-highest mortality rate from Alzheimer's in the nation and is considered a neurology care desert, with one of the nation's lowest ratios of neurologists to patients with Alzheimer's disease.
kAmkDEC@?8mx??@G2E:@? E92E :>AC@G6D 2446DD E@ 42C6k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmp55C6DD:?8 E96 DE2E6VD 4C:E:42= ?665 7@C 5:28?@D:D 2?5 EC62E>6?E[ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>FD4962=E9]@C8^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm|65:42= &?:G6CD:EJ @7 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 W|&$rXk^2m 92D DA62C962565 2 8C@F?53C62<:?8 AC@8C2>[ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>FD4962=E9]@C8^>65:42=\D6CG:46D^?6FC@D4:6?46D^2=K96:>6CDQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm$@FE9 r2C@=:?2 p=K96:>6CVD }6EH@C< W$rp}Xk^2m[ E@ 96=A E9@D6 H:E9 p=K96:>6CVD 5:D62D6 2?5 @E96C 4@8?:E:G6 5:D@C56CD] $rp} 65F42E6D AC:>2CJ 42C6 A9JD:4:2?D 23@FE 4@8?:E:G6 5:D@C56CD H9:=6 AC@G:5:?8 5:C64E 2446DD 7@C A9JD:4:2?D E@ 4@?DF=E H:E9 ?6FC@=@8:DED E9C@F89 E96:C @?=:?6 6r@?DF=E A=2E7@C>] %96 7:CDE @7 :ED <:?5 :? E96 DE2E6 2?5 @?6 @7 ;FDE 2 76H D:>:=2C AC@8C2>D :? E96 ?2E:@?[ $rp} 2:>D E@ :>AC@G6 A2E:6?E 42C6[ C65F46 H2:E E:>6D E@ D66 2 ?6FC@=@8:DE 2?5 >2<6 >@C6 E:>6=J 2?5 244FC2E6 5:28?@D6D 7@C A6@A=6 H:E9 4@8?:E:G6 5:D@C56CD]k^Am
kAmQ$rp} 3C:?8D E@86E96C 2 >F=E:5:D4:A=:?2CJ E62> @7 DA64:2=:DED :? 4@8?:E:G6 ?6FC@=@8J[ ?6FC@ADJ49@=@8J[ ADJ49:2ECJ[ ?6FC@C25:@=@8J 2?5 :?7FD:@? E96C2AJ E@ AC@G:56 244FC2E6 5:28?@D6D 2?5 A6CD@?2=:K65 42C6 A=2?D[Q D2:5 }:49@=2D |:=2?@[ |]s][ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 5:G:D:@? @7 r@8?:E:G6 2?5 q692G:@C2= }6FC@=@8J 2E |&$r] QtBF2==J :>A@CE2?E[ :E 6IA2?5D 2446DD E@ 42C6 H:E9 @FC :??@G2E:G6 6r@?DF=E DJDE6>[ E9C@F89 H9:49 AC:>2CJ 42C6 AC@G:56CD 368:? 6G2=F2E:@? 2?5 7@CH2C5 A2E:6?E C64@C5D E@ @FC E62> 7@C 6IA6CE C6G:6H D@ H6 42? @776C E6DE:?8 2?5 EC62E>6?E C64@>>6?52E:@?D @C D4965F=6 A2E:6?ED 2E 2 EC62E>6?E 46?E6C H96? ?66565]Qk^Am
kAm%9C@F89 $rp}[ |&$r 3642>6 E96 @?=J 962=E9 DJDE6> :? $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 D6=64E65 E@ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? |65:42C6VD v&xst >@56= WvF:5:?8 2? x>AC@G65 s6>6?E:2 tIA6C:6?46X[ >2<:?8 :E 4=62C E92E E9:D :D 2 >@56= @E96C DE2E6D 42? =62C? 7C@>] $rp} :D 4@>>:EE65 E@ 6?DFC:?8 A2E:6?ED 92G6 2446DD E@ik^Am
kF= EJA6lQ5:D4Qmk=:mt2C=J[ 244FC2E6 5:28?@D:D]k^=:mk=:mr@@C5:?2E65 =:76=@?8 42C6 A=2?D C67=64E:?8 4@\>2?286>6?E 3J AC:>2CJ 42C6 2?5 4@8?:E:G6 DA64:2=:DED]k^=:mk=:m}6H 2?E:\2>J=@:5 >65:42E:@?D AC6D4C:365 D276=J E@ 2AAC@AC:2E6 A2E:6?ED]k^=:mk=:mr=:?:42= EC:2=D 2?5 C6D62C49 AC@E@4@=D E9C@F89 E96 AC@A@D65 $@FE9 r2C@=:?2 p=K96:>6CVD s:D62D6 #6D62C49 r6?E6C W$r\ps#rX]k^=:mk^F=m
kAm$rp} FD6D 2 DJDE6> @7 25G2?465 42C6 4@@C5:?2E:@? 2?5 E6=6>65:4:?6 E@ C6249 A6@A=6 E9C@F89@FE E96 DE2E6[ DFAA@CE:?8 2?5 65F42E:?8 AC:>2CJ 42C6 AC@G:56CD 2?5 6IA2?5:?8 2446DD 7@C >@C6 A2E:6?ED]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m(9J 62C=J[ 4@CC64E 5:28?@D:D :D <6Jk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmu@C 2?J@?6 6IA6C:6?4:?8 >6>@CJ :DDF6D @C @E96C 4@8?:E:G6 AC@3=6>D — @C H:E?6DD:?8 E96D6 DJ>AE@>D :? 2 =@G65 @?6 — :EVD 6DD6?E:2= E@ <?@H E92E E96D6 :DDF6D 2C6 ?@E ;FDE 2 D:8? @7 28:?8 3FE 4@F=5 :?5:42E6 2 >@C6 D6C:@FD >65:42= 4@?5:E:@?]k^Am
kAm$rp} 96=AD AC:>2CJ 42C6 A9JD:4:2?D E@ 56E6C>:?6 E96 C@@E 42FD6 @7 E96D6 DJ>AE@>D[ @776C:?8 C64@>>6?52E:@?D 2?5 C6D@FC46D E@ EC62E ?6FC@=@8:42= 5:D@C56CD]k^Am
kAmpE 2 E:>6 H96? p=K96:>6CVD 5:28?@D:D 2?5 EC62E>6?E 92G6 6IA6C:6?465 >2;@C :>AC@G6>6?ED[ :?4=F5:?8 ?6H >65:42E:@?D E@ D=@H 5:D62D6 AC@8C6DD:@? 2?5 E6DE:?8 E92E 96=AD E@ 5:28?@D6 E96 5:D62D6[ |:=2?@ D2:5 :EVD >@C6 G:E2= E92? 6G6C E@ FD6 E96D6 3C62<E9C@F89D 4@CC64E=J]k^Am
kAmQp=K96:>6CVD 5:D62D6 3:@>2C<6CD[ 56E64E65 E9C@F89 3C2:? D42?D @C 3=@@5 E6DED[ 42? 2AA62C J62CD 367@C6 DJ>AE@>D] %92E @A6?D E96 5@@C E@ 62C=:6C 5:28?@D:D 3FE 2=D@ :?4C62D6D E96 C:D< @7 >:D5:28?@D:D[Q 96 6IA=2:?65] Q}@E 6G6CJ@?6 H:E9 E96D6 3:@>2C<6CD H:== 8@ @? E@ 56G6=@A 4@8?:E:G6 :>A2:C>6?E @C 56>6?E:2] (:E9 @G6CC6=:2?46 @? 3:@>2C<6CD[ DJ>AE@>D 7C@> EC62E23=6 4@?5:E:@?D =:<6 D=66A 2A?62 @C >65:42E:@? D:56 67764ED 4@F=5 36 >:DE2<6? 7@C p=K96:>6CVD[ =625:?8 E@ >:DD65 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C AC@A6C EC62E>6?E]Qk^Am
kAm|:=2?@ 2=D@ 25G:D65 42FE:@? H96? AC6D4C:3:?8 E96 ?6H6DE 5CF8D] Qp?E:\2>J=@:5 >65D 42? 42FD6 D6G6C6 D:56 67764ED] (9:=6 >@DE A2E:6?ED E@=6C2E6 E96> H6==[ D276 FD6 C6BF:C6D 6IA6CE 4@@C5:?2E:@? 24C@DD 4=:?:42= E62>D[Q 96 D2:5] Q%96D6 5CF8D 2C6 @?=J 2AAC@G65 7@C :?5:G:5F2=D H:E9 62C=J[ DJ>AE@>2E:4 p=K96:>6CVD[ ?@E E9@D6 H:E9 ?@C>2= 4@8?:E:@?[ C682C5=6DD @7 E6DE C6DF=ED] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ xVG6 D66? A2E:6?ED 92C>65 H96? E6DED H6C6 >:DFD65 2D C@FE:?6 D4C66?:?8 E@@=D[ @C EC62E>6?E H2D AC6D4C:365 E@@ D@@?]Qk^Am
kAmr@CC64E=J 5:28?@D:?8 A2E:6?ED :D E96 <6J E@ 7:?5:?8 E96 C:89E EC62E>6?E 2E E96 C:89E E:>6[ H9:49 :D H9J A9JD:4:2? 2446DD E@ ?6FC@=@8:DED E9C@F89 6r@?DF=E >2<6D DF49 2 5:776C6?46] |@?E9D 367@C6 A2E:6?ED 42? EJA:42==J D4965F=6 2? 2AA@:?E>6?E H:E9 2 ?6FC@=@8:DE[ A9JD:4:2?D 42? D92C6 :?7@C>2E:@? H:E9 2 ?6FC@=@8J E62> E@ 56E6C>:?6 :7 2? 2AA@:?E>6?E :D 6G6? ?646DD2CJ 2?5 368:? C64@>>6?565 E6DED @C EC62E>6?ED C:89E 2H2J]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m%C62E>6?E 7@C 2 C2?86 @7 4@8?:E:G6 5:D@C56CDk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm$J>AE@>D @7 >2?J 4@8?:E:G6 5:D@C56CD 42? 36 D:>:=2C @C @G6C=2A[ >2<:?8 5:28?@D:D 492==6?8:?8] %92?<D E@ E96 E62> @7 6IA6CED 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>FD4962=E9]@C8^>65:42=\D6CG:46D^?6FC@D4:6?46D^2=K96:>6CDQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm$rp}k^2m H:E9:? |&$rVD ?6FC@=@8J 56A2CE>6?E[ 4@8?:E:G6 ?6FC@=@8:DED 42? 56E6C>:?6 E96 2AAC@AC:2E6 EC62E>6?E 7@C 6249 A2E:6?E]k^Am
kAmp=K96:>6CVD EC62E>6?E 2E |&$r w62=E9 @776CD E96 C68:@?VD 36DE 42C6 7@C A6@A=6 H:E9 p=K96:>6CVD 5:D62D6 2?5 @E96C 4@8?:E:G6 5:D@C56CD] |&$r w62=E9 92D 366? C64@8?:K65 2D w:89 !6C7@C>:?8 :? }6FC@=@8J U2>Aj }6FC@DFC86CJ :? E96 a_ad\a_ae &]$] }6HD U2>Aj (@C=5 #6A@CE C2?<:?8D[ 2?5 :ED 6IA6CE E62> AC@G:56D 4@>AC696?D:G6 6G2=F2E:@? 2?5 EC62E>6?E 7@C 25F=ED 724:?8 2== EJA6D @7 >6>@CJ 2?5 4@8?:E:G6 492==6?86D]k^Am
kAm!2E:6?ED 2?5 =@G65 @?6D :?E6C6DE65 :? =62C?:?8 >@C6 D9@F=5 DA62< H:E9 E96:C 5@4E@CD 23@FE C6BF6DE:?8 2? 6r@?DF=E H:E9 $rp}] p55:E:@?2= :?7@C>2E:@? :D 2G2:=23=6 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>FD4962=E9]@C8^>65:42=\D6CG:46D^?6FC@D4:6?46D^2=K96:>6CDQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm|&$rw62=E9]@C8k^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.