Ruth couldn’t believe what she was reading: The Food and Drug Administration had granted regulatory approval for a second drug to help slow the decline of memory in Alzheimer’s patients. The first infusion therapy was approved in mid-2023.
Ruth’s father, Gabe, had recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Her mother had her own health issues and was struggling to accept his diagnosis, so Ruth had taken over Gabe’s medical care. She was even considering having her parents move in with her family in City Park to allow them to spend more quality time together before Gabe’s health really declined.
“These new treatments seek to remove amyloid protein from the brain, which is thought to be one of the key elements in the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” explains Dr. Nathan Kung, a comprehensive neurologist with Intermountain Health. “While not curative, they are revolutionary. They are the first available treatments that modify and slow the progression of this terrible, life-altering condition.”
Patients early in the disease’s progression are thought to benefit the most from the newfangled IV infusions—Gabe among them. Ruth immediately called his neurologist.
She learned that in order to receive insurance authorization to move forward with the treatment, her 68-year-old father needed a current PET scan or specialty MRI; this would also help rule out any alternative issues causing his memory loss. Additional MRI scans throughout the monthslong treatment process were also required to monitor the ongoing safety of the therapy.
The doctor recommended Ruth take Gabe to Touchstone Medical Imaging.
The outpatient facility recently unveiled its Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence in Colorado and provided access to both the PET and MRI scans at its 11 metro Denver locations. (Additional Center locations are coming online across the country in September.)
Touchstone’s same-day, early morning, evening, and weekend appointment offerings made it easy for Ruth to schedule her dad’s check-ins around the complex calendar she maintained as a working mom. Plus, because Touchstone is in-network with 99 percent of insurance plans, including Medicare, the bills wouldn’t pile up. (The company also charges up to 60 percent less for diagnostic imaging services than hospitals.) That took a huge stress off of Ruth’s already burdened shoulders.
“Our system is fully integrated, which makes connecting patients with Touchstone easy on us and easy on them,” says Kung, who often refers people to the imaging center. He also appreciates the access Touchstone offers to NueuroQuant brain MRIs, which use more specialized software to measure the volume of various parts of the brain that are often damaged by Alzheimer’s disease.
Gabe didn’t need that particular scan, but it’s been useful for many of Kung’s patients.
Ruth understands that the new infusion medication isn’t going to stop her father’s decline, but she’s hopeful the therapy will slow down the inevitable. She wants as much time with the dad she knows. Touchstone is her first step in making that a reality.
