Neurologist Shortfall and Increasing Dementia Rates Affect South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WSPA) – Doctors and lawmakers have noticed a growing shortage of neurologists in the state as dementia rates continue to rise, in addition to the progress of Alzheimer’s research.

Over the past two years, the South Carolina General Assembly has invested over $10 million in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association to boost dementia research. By doing this, the state was able to create their first Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC).

Taylor Wilson, Director of Government Affairs at the Alzheimer’s Association, said the impact of the funding is already being seen.

“We’ve seen more outreach to communities, more education to workforce, early detection and diagnosis of mild cognitive impairments in the earliest stages of the disease, and incredible biomarker research,” Wilson said.

Despite all of the data being collected, the big concern is the lack of neurologists.

“We looked at the number of people in the state that had dementia,” said Dr. Steven Carroll, Director of the ADRC. “We looked at the typical workload that a neurologist can accomplish and calculated, sort of on the back of an envelope. How many neurologists would we need to take care of everyone in South Carolina? The answer was 334. They don’t exist.”

Carroll and State Senator Danny Verdin (R – Laurens) discussed in the committee, ways to address this issue.

“We can use things like telemedicine, which this state has been very proactive about. Let the neurologist at our institution help the people in more rural settings,” Carroll added.

From their research, doctors have reported new statistics seen in South Carolina that link Alzheimer’s to race and gender.

“Two-thirds of Alzheimer’s patients are women, and in South Carolina, if you are Black, your risk is 1.8 times that of a white person’s,” Carroll said.

According to doctors at ADRC, there is still a lot to be done, but if you are struggling, the Alzheimer’s Association can reach you in all 46 counties across the state.

Head to their website to find resources, including a 24/7 hotline.