Core E: Outreach & Recruitment Core

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OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT CORE – PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The Outreach and Recruitment Core (ORC; formerly the Education and Information Transfer Core) plays a critical role in the Arizona ADCC, interacting closely with all other Cores, and developing and coordinating the ADCC's outreach, recruitment, and retention efforts. The proportion of persons in Arizona aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is expected to grow 66.7% by 2025. This is the second largest increase in the nation (Alzheimer's Association, 2015), and these numbers rise substantially when AD is combined with other related dementias (ADRD), and people under the age of 65 are included. Hispanics/Latinos constitute Arizona's largest ethnic minority (30.3%), and American Indians and Alaska Natives alone (5.3%) represent the state's largest racial minority. The ORC reaches out to these underrepresented communities for research participation to help ensure a diverse cohort of participants in the Clinical Core, the Neuropathology Core (via enrollment in the Brain and Body Donation Program), multicenter research programs initiated by NIA, and related research projects. In addition, our ADCC and its ORC serve as a unique resource for Arizona, particularly in disseminating up-to-date information on ADRD treatment, care, and research opportunities and findings. We use multiple strategies to identify and implement best practices, such as improving our conferences by analyzing evaluations from research, professional, and lay participants who attend them; convening focus groups with diverse communities to hear their voices regarding ways to expand outreach; seeking input from underserved communities to develop culturally sensitive tools for healthcare professionals; and more deeply tapping into resources (e.g., the Alzheimer's Prevention Registry) to promote recruitment efforts and enhance liaison activities within Arizona, across the nation, and internationally. Our uniqueness also builds upon our own ORC initiatives across ADCC institutions and our partnerships with organizations such as the state-wide Alzheimer's Association and the local Area Agencies on Aging in the delivery and tailoring of award-winning family caregiver interventions to meet the needs of diverse communities (e.g., Spanish speakers, caregivers of those with Down Syndrome and dementia). For the upcoming funding cycle, the ORC will complement proven outreach, recruitment, and education activities (e.g., scientific and public conferences, memory screening events, brain health education programs tailored for underserved populations) with new, innovative initiatives to increase Latino and Native American enrollment (e.g., collaborations with both Mountain Park Health Center serving the Latino community and the University of Washington ADRC Strong Heart Stroke Study with Native Americans, Banner Alzheimer's Institute's Inaugural National Conference for Professionals on AD in Native Americans, and the expanding involvement of promotores networks).