Aug 10, 2026
Virginia Center on Aging receives boost in funding from the General Assembly
The Virginia Center of Aging has received a six-figure funding boost from the Virginia General Assembly to support one of its core initiatives. The state has allocated $300,000 per year for the next two years for the Virginia Memory Project (VMP), an epidemiological data set designed to assist patients with neurodegenerative conditions in entering a pathway to care while also providing training for providers, referral and support for caregivers.
Tracey Gendron, M.S., Ph.D, chair and professor in the Department of Gerontology at Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Health Professions, and executive director of the Virginia Center on Aging, said that the project, which launched in 2019, had consulted with the General Assembly to get it codified, as only three other states have this type of epidemiological registry. Annie Rhodes, Ph.D., CGCM, assistant professor in the Department of Gerontology, has been engaging with the General Assembly since 2021, highlighting the VMP’s importance and providing general education on these registries to lawmakers and government officials.
“In 2026, they added a budget amendment to support staffing for (VMP) because now we can really take it to the next level,” Gendron said. “So Annie's looking at hiring postdocs and people who can really get into the data itself to analyze trends so that we can really look at policy implications for dementia services in the state.”
Rhodes added that the funding will be used to expand the project’s four main components, including education for health care professionals and students, education for the general public, data evaluation and strengthening of partnerships and policies.
“Some activities we are acting on immediately are expanding the number of students supported by this funding, expanding outreach to caregivers and people with neurodegenerative concerns via our community education programming and partnerships with local agencies (Alzheimer's Association, Parkinson's Movement Disorder Center, etc),” Rhodes said.
Rhodes added that the funding will also help create specialty reports for the Virginia Dementia State Plan.
“The VMP delivers data that supports Virginia’s goal of dementia capability by informing the Virginia Dementia State Plan, and by supporting more targeted service delivery and policy development through identifying areas of higher need as well as service gaps,” said George Worthington, dementia services director for the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, in a statement. “New state funding for the VMP recognizes the vital need for quality data to underpin both policies and services.”
However, the funding not only furthers the mission and work of the VMP but also serves as a source of pride and accomplishment for the Virginia Center on Aging and the Gerontology department.
“I couldn't be prouder of this whole team. So we have now been a united gerontology department and center on aging since about 2021, and in these almost five years, it's truly incredible to see what we have accomplished as one team,” Gendron said. “When the Virginia Center on Aging gets a grant, or when the Department of Gerontology gets extra funding, everybody benefits from it because it not only bolsters the team and gives us more opportunities to elevate people within the team, but it also exposes the discipline of gerontology.”
Gendron says the financial support will also help attract more people to the field and provide a better understanding of the work being done. It also offers new opportunities for students, giving them access to the database for research.
“VCU, the College of Health Professions and the Virginia Center on Aging have embraced the VMP since its infancy. This funding significantly amplifies our reach,” Rhodes said. “It's like hitting the accelerator pedal. We can be more present and involved in community initiatives while developing our reach as a national model.”
The VMP has been cataloging clinical and community data on neurodegenerative diseases since 2022. Rhodes notes that the project has a “wide variety” of data, which makes it unique. She also noted that the dataset analyzed the full spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases rather than a single condition.
“(The data) allows us to get a true understanding of what neurodegenerative disease, caregiving and brain health look like in Virginia,” Rhodes said. “We do this by analyzing healthcare claim data for people who have a diagnosis, but also by collecting information about caregiving, risk factors, brain health and health care professional training about neurodegenerative disease.”
Gendron added that the data is meant to be used by the wider community and informed by it as well, which is why it is so important to the Virginia Center on Aging.