The Community Outreach Program (COP) is comprised of a multilingual (English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog) and multicultural team dedicated to improving the quality of health care for vulnerable communities in San Francisco and supporting brain health equity for all communities through brain health education on topics such as cognitive impairment, assessment and management, and the prevention of dementia. All of our services aim to be culturally appropriate and community-informed. We are supported by a multidisciplinary team of neurologists, geriatricians, neuropsychologists, artists, and research staff with vast experience in neurodegenerative diseases and community engagement.

Our outreach efforts are centered on four specific goals:

1. To extend neurological clinical services to vulnerable populations at the Memory and Aging Center as well as at community-based clinics through clinical partnerships with the Chinatown Public Health Center, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (Neuro-Geriatrics), the Mission Neighborhood Health Center, Southeast Health Center, and the Medical Respite and Sobering Center.
2. To promote participation of underrepresented populations in MAC research projects that have the potential to improve community health not only in the San Francisco Bay Area but also throughout the United States and internationally. We follow a data-informed approach in neighborhoods underrepresented in MAC observational research projects, partnering with local and national organizations for annual health fairs, conferences, and community tabling opportunities.
3. To increase brain health literacy among the San Francisco Bay Area population through community talks and Q&A sessions with experts in brain health to decrease stigma, improve public awareness of neurodegenerative disorders and modifiable risk factors, and encourage early diagnosis. Our brain health educational talks reach more than 2,000 attendees annually.
4. To support healthy cognitive aging through arts and activity-based community engagement in underserved neighborhoods throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Creative Minds, the San Francisco community arts for brain health initiative, and community engagement activities such as Virtual Brain Health Bingo are conducted through long-term partnerships with community centers and clinics.

The Community Outreach and Engagement team is building capacity and working closely with community partners to create brain health hubs in several San Francisco neighborhoods that will allow us to have a steady presence in the community while we work towards mitigating brain health disparities.

Read the MAC research project descriptions to learn more about how can you participate in observational research at the Memory and Aging Center.

For more information about the Community Outreach Program, contact [email protected].