Alice Brumley’s scholarship support from Palm Health Foundation advanced her path and her expertise in geriatrics, a field dedicated to supporting individuals through a stage of life often defined by uncertainties.

“I saw individuals suffering from strokes or dementia who were alone,” she said. “They were in a cycle of getting sick, returning to the hospital for long stays, and not understanding what medications they were on,” she said. “Navigating the system is so hard for us; imagine how it is for people with cognitive changes who don’t have any family close by.”

Brumley’s bedside experience, scholarship-funded DNP studies, and primary practice work prepared her for the leadership role she recently attained as the interim director of The Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center at FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing. She is passionate about the center’s mission to meet the complex needs of persons with memory disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and their families.

The center provides individuals and their families compassionate and innovative programs of care, research, and education. Brumley sees a significant opportunity to tie the center’s vast offerings together with local neurologists, community organizations, and families to make the greatest impact at both the system and individual level.

“When people with mild cognitive impairment engage in all the necessary resources available, it makes a profound difference in either slowing their progression or improving their cognition,” Brumley said. “On the other side, we might see a patient a year later, and there is a decline in their condition. When we ask why, we often find that some barriers were as simple as the patient or family member needing to follow up on our referral. Now, we’re working to eliminate barriers by strengthening community partnerships and implementing warm hand-offs, ensuring the next steps are seamlessly handled rather than left to the patient.”