3rd Annual VT Dementia & Brain Health Symposium -- In-person and exhibitor tickets sold out. Livestream still available!

IN-PERSON TICKETS SOLD-OUT: LIVESTREAM TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE! 

 

Dementia and Brain Health Symposium 2026

Nov 6, 8:00 - 3:30 pm, Waterbury State Complex Lobby and 2nd Floor

 

Livestream available – Morning session only (9 a.m. - Noon)

 

Agenda 

 

8:00 – 8:50 am Network and Sponsorship Time (downstairs lobby)

 

9:00 Welcome, Dr. Rick Hildebrant, Commissioner, Department of Health

 

9:10 Dr. Andrew Budson, Chief of Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology, Director of the Center for Translational Cognitive Neuroscience at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, Associate Director for Research at the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center

 

• Q&A facilitated by Howard Goodrow, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association Vermont and Maine Chapter

 

10:00 Dementia Management and Treatment in VT: Panel and Discussion

 

• Moderated by Nina Keck, Senior Reporter, Vermont Public

 

Panel

• Dementia Care Specialists and Assistants (Christina Hagood, NP, UVM Health)

• Dementia Care Navigators (Liz McCarthy, Alzheimer’s Association)

• New Treatment Options (Dr. Budson)

• New and Developing Regional Geriatric and Dementia Care Hubs

  • Gifford Medical Center (Emily Young, LICSW)

  • Full Circle Medicine (Brendan Conroy, APRN)

  • Geriatric Primary Care, Rutland (Dr. Orlan)

 

11:00 Susan Antkowiak, VP of Programs and Services for the Alzheimer’s Association Chapter and a lead for the US POINTER Study which focused on the cognitive health benefits of lifestyle modifications.

 

• Q&A facilitated by Liz McCarthy, New England Health Systems Director, Alzheimer’s Association

   

11:50 Summary and Tie-in with Afternoon Workshops, Dr. Jill Bowen, Commissioner, Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living

 

Noon – 12:55 Lunch and Networking (a light lunch is provided to participants)

 

 

1:00 Workshop Offerings

 

The symposium is offering four workshops with content experts in dementia care. Two of the workshops provide CEUs. All workshops will start at 1:00 pm and conclude by 3:30 pm.

 

1. Christina Hagood, Neurology Nurse Practitioner and Dementia Care Specialist, UVM Memory Program, “Step by Step Approach on How to Screen and Diagnose in Primary Care” 

 

2. Jen Brown, PT, DPT, with Dynamic Home Therapy and Neurofit, and Rachel Wiley, MS, OTR/L, with the Dementia Collaborative on "Navigating Parkinson's Disease Dementia and Dementia with Lewy Bodies Across the Care Continuum". This program has been approved for 2.5 Continuing

Education hours for licensure. NASW VT Authorization Number 1252A; This course has been approved through VT's OPR for OT for 2.5 hours. Course ID: CA-396771. The course has been approved by APTA-VT for 2.5 hours: CEUL182132.

 

3. Lori P. McKenna, MSW, LICSW, Clinician Lead and Manager, Joan Marsh-Reed, MA, BC SP and Dara Stimson, MSW, LICSW from the UVMMC Dementia Family Caregiver Center on “After the Diagnosis; Understanding Grief and Loss Related to Dementia”. This program has been approved for 2.5 Continuing Education hours for licensure. NASW VT Authorization Number 1252B.

 

4. Jess Oehlke, MD, Double Board Certified in Sleep Medicine and Psychiatry, with Sleep for Women and Lakeside Sleep Care presents “Women's Sleep and Brain Health”

 

3:30 Adjourn

 

*The Dementia and Brain Health Symposium is a collaboration involving Age Strong VT, Alzheimer’s Association VT and Maine Chapter, Dementia Collaborative, VT Departments of Health and Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living, UVM Center on Aging, UVM Dementia Family Caregiver Center and the University of Vermont Medical Center Memory Program

 

We look forward to seeing you there and making meaningful connections together!