LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A new federal investment aims to bring high-tech dementia screening directly to rural Nevada seniors.
Congresswoman Susie Lee announced a $784,000 community project grant Monday at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. The money will help the center buy a portable MRI scanner and outfit a mobile unit so medical teams can travel to small towns in rural southern Nevada.
MORE ON FOX5: Southern Nevada Health District releases 5-year Community Health plan
The goal is early detection of Alzheimer’s and other dementias, along with education and referrals, during June’s National Alzheimer’s and Brain Health Awareness Month.
Access challenges in rural Nevada
Two-thirds of Nevada residents live in a primary care professional shortage area, a problem particularly acute in rural Nevada, Lee said.
Close to 55,000 Nevada residents are living with Alzheimer’s, with more than 39,000 in Clark County. Caregivers provide an estimated 226 million hours of unpaid care annually.
Despite the scale of the disease, fewer than half of those affected receive a proper diagnosis from a clinician, Lee said.
“There’s so many groundbreaking treatments for dementia, but you have to have early detection,” Lee said.
How the program will work
The grant will fund the portable MRI scanner and a mobile unit that enables medical teams to travel directly to rural areas. It will also fund onboard equipment, staffing and coordinated outreach activities.
The portable scanner represents emerging technology now being deployed by leading clinical dementia research groups across the country and internationally. It will be the first scanner of its kind in Nevada.
Participants will receive brain imaging and easy-to-understand risk summaries they can share with their healthcare providers. When needed, they will receive follow-up care either at the Lou Ruvo Center or with local providers in their hometowns.
“This approach emphasizes early identification, education, and connection to care before problems can become more serious,” said Dr. Andrew Bender, who leads the project at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.
The program will include educational outreach activities in rural communities focused on early identification and reducing modifiable risk factors for dementia. The efforts will include collaborations with partners across Nevada, including UNLV and community stakeholders.
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
