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Achieving meaningful progress against Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) requires an urgent public health response. Since 2005, the Alzheimer’s Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and other public health partners collaborated on the Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI). HBI seeks to advance public health awareness of and action on ADRD as a public health issue. The HBI Road Map Series, State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018–2023 Road Map (S&L RM) and Road Map for Indian Country, provide the public health with concrete steps to respond to the growing burden of ADRD in communities, consistent with the aim of the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (P.L. 115-406). This series of RMs for state, local, and tribal public health provide flexible menus of actions to address cognitive health, including ADRD, and support for dementia caregivers with population-based approaches. The purpose of this session is to illustrate public health’s role with ADRD—past, present, and future. An overview of the evolution of HBI RM series will be provided (McGuire) and preliminary evaluation data of 24 actions from S&L RM will be presented (French, Shean, Beatty). Holt, Reed, & McGuire will share lessons learned and next steps from CDC’s Regional Action Institutes designed to facilitate implementation of the RM series across the US. The intersection between the RM series and Age-Friendly Public Health Systems will be described as a starting point for public health (Wolfe, French, Shean).

This presentation will demonstrate an innovative strategic planning effort, coined Action Institutes (AI’s), which are designed to promote the implementation of CDC’s “The Healthy Brain Initiative’s State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia” and the “Road Map for Indian Country.” Both of these documents outline how the champions of public health and their partners can create a statewide effort to promote brain health, increase early diagnosis, address cognitive impairment for individuals living in the community, and help meet the needs of care partners. The purpose of these 1-2-day AI’s is to familiarize leaders with the topic, encourage their adoption into current priority setting, and guide participants in creating action plans. The CDC’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program is conducting a series of these AIs, which are made possible through partnerships with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the National Indian Health Board.

Alzheimer’s and other dementias are chronic conditions that disproportionately impact some populations. The dementia continuum spans decades, so life-course approaches by state health departments (SHDs) are crucial. SHDs’ implementation of the Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map (RM) represents policy/system/environmental actions to improve population-level dementia outcomes. METHODS. Alzheimer’s Association uses online reporting by affiliate chapters to monitor SHDs’ RM implementation. Association staff reviewed data and calculated frequencies by RM action and issue areas. Documentation from SHDs and national partners are supplementary data. RESULTS. Preliminary results from July-December 2019 indicate 34 SHDs were implementing 60 RM actions. Interventions clustered in risk reduction, early detection, workforce competencies, surveillance, and emergency preparedness. RM implementation lagged on access to community supports, attention to caregiving, and workforce supply analyses. A majority of states had multi-faceted initiatives. IMPLICATIONS. SHDs are deploying life-course approaches for dementia. SHD leaders must build towards a full response by expanding RM implementation.

The Healthy Brain Initiative (HBI) seeks to advance public health awareness of and action on ADRD as a public health issue. The HBI Road Map Series, State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia: The 2018–2023 Road Map (S&L RM) and Road Map for Indian Country (RMIC), provide the public health with concrete steps to respond to the growing burden of ADRD in communities, consistent with the aim of the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (P.L. 115-406). This series of RMs for state, local, and tribal public health provide flexible menus of actions to address cognitive health, including ADRD, and support for dementia caregivers with population-based approaches. This session will describe how the initiative evolved over the past 15 years including policy and implementation success stories.

SIGNIFICANCE. Older adults can contribute wisdom, skills, and time to communities. The public health sector has unique capabilities for creating conditions that promote health, foster community connections, and quality of life. METHODS. Two frameworks provide public health (PH) with core strategies to improve outcomes for all older adults. The Framework for Creating an Age-Friendly Public Health System (AFPHS) supports the PH role, as demonstrated by 37 of Florida’s 67 county health departments that are piloting the AFPHS Framework. The Healthy Brain Initiative’s (HBI) State and Local Public Health Partnerships to Address Dementia is a framework for action used by PH to promote cognitive health, improve care for cognitive impairment, and increase caregiving supports. Both frameworks call for utilizing regional data and cross-sector partnerships. IMPLICATIONS. PH can contribute to community-wide initiatives to promote well-being and community connections for older adults. Cross-sector partnerships can start by using available tools and planning guides.