Banner Alzheimer's Institute

Transforming the Scientific Fight Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of memory and thinking problems in older people, exacts a devastating toll on patients and a significant strain on family caregivers. It affects about 10% of people over 65 and more than one-third of those over 85. With the growing number of people living to older ages, the number of Americans affected by Alzheimer’s and other age-related memory and thinking problems is projected to skyrocket, from 7 million today to nearly 13 million by 2050—unless we address and prevent the problem in the next few years.

As the very first Center of Excellence at Banner Health, the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute was established in Phoenix in 2006 to help address this terrible problem and achieve several ambitious goals:

• To find effective Alzheimer’s prevention therapies without losing a generation
• To establish a new standard of care for patients and family caregivers
• To galvanize the fight against Alzheimer’s and related diseases in other ways
• To forge models of collaboration in biomedical research

Working closely with its sister organization, Banner Sun Health Research Institute, and having expanded to Tucson in 2018, today, the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute is a world leader in the scientific and clinical fight against Alzheimer’s and related diseases. BAI launched a new era in Alzheimer’s prevention research, fostered a common sense of urgency around the world, and now has a realistic chance to find and support the FDA approval and widespread accessibility of the first effective Alzheimer’s prevention therapies within the next few years.

As we work to find a cure, we offer an unparalleled comprehensive care model with extensive programs to address the medical and non-medical needs of patients and family caregivers. Services include state-of-the-art diagnostic evaluations, numerous clinical trials, and impactful education, outreach and support programs for caregivers, with custom offerings to address the unique needs of under-represented groups.

Our vision has always been singular: to end Alzheimer’s disease as soon as possible. We believe this future that we envision is near.

About the Banner Alzheimer’s Foundation

The Banner Alzheimer’s Foundation was established in 2006 exclusively to cultivate and steward charitable contributions to advance the mission of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. The Foundation engages grateful patients and families to support the Institute’s work to end Alzheimer’s disease before losing another generation and provide a new standard of care for people with Alzheimer’s and their families. Philanthropic support has been integral to our ability to treat hundreds of thousands of patients and support their care partners with our unparalleled comprehensive care model, including family outreach, counseling, and education critical to dementia care.

Through the Be at the Heart of Health campaign, we will make major philanthropic investments to propel our research institutes as they continue to look for ways to better diagnose, treat, and prevent Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and bring important treatments and major breakthroughs to the market. We must also sustain and expand our unmatched care programs, supportive services, community outreach, and education initiatives to ensure these resources are widely accessible and affordable.

Download an overview here.

To make or discuss a gift to support Banner Alzheimer’s Institute or Banner Sun Health Research Institute, please call Kristie Leshinskie at 602-747-4483.