(NYT) – Faith and science are coming together to reduce stigma and improve care in the African American community.

Roughly one in five Black Americans 65 and older has Alzheimer’s, compared with one in 10 white Americans. But it can take Black patients significantly longer to obtain a diagnosis, which limits treatment options and places an additional burden on caregivers.

Experts have identified several factors that contribute to these bleak statistics, including stigma and a lack of awareness about dementia in the Black community. There is also general distrust of the scientific and medical establishment, fueled by ongoing discrimination.

Fayron Epps, a professor of nursing at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the founder of Alter, is trying to address these disparities by tapping into places where trust runs deep: Black churches. (Read More)