KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Smokies.LIVE Information Center) — The Pat Summitt Foundation is marking its 15th anniversary with a new five-year strategic plan and a report highlighting growing gaps in Alzheimer’s diagnosis, treatment and access to care.
The foundation announced the initiatives Nov. 5 during an anniversary luncheon in Knoxville, outlining four priorities: clinical care and access, caregiver support, clinical education and workforce development, and growth and collaboration.
The announcement comes as the number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease is expected to double by 2050, increasing demand for specialized medical care and family support.
The foundation’s new white paper, titled “Alzheimer’s Disease and the Growing Concern: Rising Gaps in Diagnosis, Treatment and Access to Care,” examines challenges including shortages of dementia specialists, delayed diagnoses, geographic barriers to emerging treatments and the financial and emotional toll on caregivers.
The report estimates that more than 7.4 million Americans age 65 and older were living with Alzheimer’s in 2025. More than 12 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Founded by former University of Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt and her son, Tyler, the foundation has invested more than $3 million in the University of Tennessee Medical Center, helping establish the Pat Summitt Clinic in 2017. The clinic has cared for more than 33,000 patients from 29 states.
The foundation has also invested in caregiver resources and organizations supporting patients and families throughout the Southeast.
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