To the Editor,
As a concerned constituent and advocate for improved healthcare access, I urge Congressman Ryan to support H.R. 3747 – the Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Provider Training Act (AADAPT).
This important legislation would establish a virtual training program to equip primary care physicians – particularly those serving rural and frontier communities – with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively diagnose, treat and manage Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. With millions of Americans affected by these conditions, and with rural areas facing a shortage of specialized care, timely intervention and informed primary care is more critical than ever.
This issue is personal to me. My grandfather, a former resident of Fultonville, N.Y., lived in a small rural community where memory care resources were scarce. As his Alzheimer’s progressed, our family struggled to find providers who had the training to recognize and respond to the disease early. The lack of access to informed care in rural upstate New York meant delays in diagnosis and treatment—delays that deeply impacted his quality of life and our ability to support him. That experience continues to motivate me to advocate for better tools and training for rural healthcare providers.
Far too often, families in underserved regions struggle to find physicians with the expertise to recognize early signs of dementia, delaying vital care. By investing in scalable, virtual training, H.R. 3747 would bridge the gap by supporting frontline providers and improving outcomes for patients and caregivers alike.
I respectfully ask Congressman Ryan to cosponsor and advocate for this bipartisan initiative. Supporting AADAPT is an important step toward health equity for our aging population.
Noa Snyder
Highland Mills