Mayo Clinic launches "Live Well. Think Well." community outreach program

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville announced its new community outreach initiative at a March 27 breakfast held at Jacksonville's main public library. The "Live Well. Think Well." healthy brain aging community outreach program was created to educate African-Americans about healthy brain aging and memory disorders.

Addressing an audience of more than 200 residents, Dr. Floyd Willis, the program creator said, "It is increasingly important to understand how Alzheimer's and related diseases affect the African-American population. Memory disorders are estimated to affect approximately 15 million people worldwide and approximately 4 million people in the United States. The proportion of the U.S. elderly who are African-American will be steadily increasing and could nearly double from 8 percent to 15 percent over the next few years."

The program provides information about brain health to African-American seniors and their families. Physicians from Mayo Clinic will present information to fraternities, sororities, church congregations, retiree associations and other community groups.

"Our goal is to present Live Well. Think Well. to as many organizations as possible," says registered nurse Michelle Davis Singleton, a community coordinator at Mayo Clinic. "We want to raise awareness among African-Americans in Jacksonville about the impact of memory loss to our community."

The initiative has garnered support from some of Jacksonville's most prominent seniors. Rev. Rudolph W. McKissick Sr., senior pastor of Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, and Wendell P. Holmes, the first African-American elected to the Duval County School board, serve as advisory committee members.

"It is a blessing to be associated with a group of men and women who are determined to find cures for the minds and bodies of people," says Rev. McKissick. "I am encouraged to participate in such a worthwhile endeavor and I am encouraging members of our congregation to participate in this initiative."

Willis, a family practice physician at Mayo Clinic, is a national leader in research on memory loss in African-Americans. He will lead the educational initiative along with other Mayo Clinic physicians and staff.

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