Lauren S. Aaronson Pilot Awardees: Eric Vidoni, Ph.D., University of Kansas; Jannette Berkley-Patton, Ph.D., University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC)
By Frontiers , Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Feb 11, 2026
Project Title: Rapid, Faith-Based Community Dementia Evaluations to Shorten Time to Diagnosis and Care
Although common, age-related changes in memory can be alarming. When memory changes start to appear, many patients bounce between appointments and have long waits to see providers for answers.
Together, Eric Vidoni, Ph.D. and Jeanette Berkley-Patton Ph.D. are hoping to remedy this by launching the Brain Health Rapid Assessment Visits for Everyone (BRAVE) initiative. BRAVE tests a simple community-based workflow where a nurse practitioner or physician will meet community members with memory concerns at a church or other faith site for an initial evaluation. There, patients will complete pencil-and-paper cognitive testing and a 20–30-minute clinical interview, with a blood draw when it is needed. A few weeks later, the team will share results of the testing and discuss next steps by phone or Zoom. From there, participants will receive information they can take to their provider or to a memory clinic for follow-up.
Using their Lauren S. Aaronson pilot award, Vidoni and Berkley-Patton are implementing BRAVE in two settings to assess feasibility of scheduling, space, and staffing before scaling up to a larger trial. First, they will run pilots in Kansas City churches with active health ministries. Berkley-Patton’s long-standing partnerships and the KC Faith Community Action Board (co-led with Calvary Community Outreach Network) are guiding site selection and practical details, including privacy, scheduling that does not conflict with services, and plain-language messaging about what the visit means for individuals and families.
In parallel, the team will run a pilot program in Salina using the same workflow but in a rural setting. In Salina, the team also has access to a small, on-site MRI to perform brain imaging to quickly identify or rule out major issues. They are also exploring an RV clinic to reach more remote areas. For both sites, the BRAVE team are tracking how long it takes to get results and recommendations, what questions patients still have after the call, and any changes needed to make the visit run more smoothly. Lessons from related tests in primary care will shape the next phase.
By reducing the wait time between when symptoms begin and patients’ initial evaluation, Vidoni and Berkley-Patton are giving patients families and their primary care providers the opportunity to develop a care plan which could include lifestyle changes or treatments before their symptoms progress.
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