Congratulations to our Board Member, Jennifer Pettis, on receiving the Frank Carlino Award from the Alzheimers Association for her outstanding advocacy on behalf of individuals and families living with Alzheimer’s and all other dementias!!!  

Jen is the Alzheimer’s Ambassador for Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and a Chapter Board member and community educator for the Alzheimer’s Association Northeastern New York Chapter. Alzheimer’s Ambassadors are grassroots volunteers for the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement, the advocacy arm of the Alzheimer’s Association. They work to develop and advance policies to overcome Alzheimer’s disease through increased investment in research, enhanced care, and improved support.

Jen has more than 25 years of healthcare experience as a nurse, nurse researcher, educator, and consultant working to improve healthcare for older adults. She is the Acting Director of Programs for Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders (NICHE), the leading nurse-driven program designed to help hospitals and healthcare organizations improve the care of older adults. “There are 6.2 million older adults age 65 and over living with Alzheimer’s, and that number is expected to double to 12.7 million by 2050″, she stated. “In short, Alzheimer’s disease is a public health crisis, and the time to act is now.”

The Frank Carlino Award is named for Frank Carlino of Cornwall, Orange County, who became the face of Alzheimer’s at a time when people with the disease did not speak out about it. He was diagnosed when he was in his late 50’s and shared his years of experience living with Alzheimer’s in a variety of public settings. This award celebrates his visionary spirit and is given yearly to recognize an advocate who exemplifies the qualities of dedicated perseverance and creativity that help people with Alzheimer’s and their families.