The Texas Department of State Health Services will contribute an additional $1.45 million to a University brain health education program for students through August 2027, according to a Feb. 23 UT School of Nursing news release.
The Interprofessional Curriculum Approach to Alzheimer’s and Other Dementias program began in June 2024 with a $750,000 grant from the institution, according to the news release. The program is a collaboration between the Texas Department of State Health Services and the University’s Center for Health Interprofessional Practice and Education. The new funding will strengthen the initiative’s ability to train future healthcare professionals on dementia care, according to the news release.
Alyssa Aguirre, assistant director of dementia care transformation, said the program consists of two asynchronous modules and a simulation workshop. Students who complete both the Brain Health and Early Detection and Treatment modules, as well as participate in the simulation, receive a digital “micro badge” that can be used on resumes, she said.
“It distinguishes them as someone who has competencies in interprofessional care as well as dementia-capable care,” Aguirre said.
6.7 million older adults in the U.S. currently suffer from Alzheimer’s, and that number could double in 2060, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Jung Kwak, co-principal investigator of the program, wrote in an email that the initiative equips students seeking healthcare professions with the skills needed to provide care to people with dementia and their families.
“There is a shortage of geriatric-trained and dementia-trained healthcare professionals, especially as our society continues to age,” Aguirre said.
Aside from learning about brain health and early detection of dementia, Kwak wrote that students also become better communicators.
“Participants learn … how to use clear, supportive language, respond to confusion or distress, and engage caregivers as partners in care,” Kwak wrote.
Aguirre said the program is currently open to all UT students. The pilot for the project began in the spring of 2025 and engaged 58 students from various undergraduate and graduate programs across the University, she said. This spring, Aguirre said an additional 200 students have been enrolled in the dementia care curriculum.
The continuation of funding will also allow the program to expand to other universities and provide continuing education for licensed healthcare workers, she said.
“The question we kept coming back to is, ‘How do we train the next generation of healthcare professionals to be dementia capable?’” Aguirre said.
With the extension of the grant, Aguirre said the dementia care team also hopes to collaborate with additional University faculty who teach relevant courses or have students who may be interested in dementia-capable care.
“UT being one of the top public schools in the United States, we’re really leading the way in innovation and curriculum development,” Aguirre said. ”We’re really attracting students who are interested in being on the cutting edge in medicine, healthcare and innovation.”