Washington, DC, July 10, 2026 – HealthyWomen today announced the launch of the Brain Health Coalition, a cross-industry initiative that brings together employers, health systems, physician groups, research institutions, community organizations and patient voices to address one of the most pressing and underaddressed challenges in American healthcare: the failure to treat Alzheimer’s disease as a routine part of midlife care.
Alzheimer’s-related brain changes can begin decades before a single symptom appears. Midlife is the most consequential window of intervention, yet remains the most systematically ignored. This coalition should change that.
“Brain health has been viewed as something to worry about later in life, when it is clear that the time for action has come decades earlier,” said Beth Battaglino, CEO of HealthyWomen. “We are convening this coalition because the relationships, the reach and the urgency all point to now. This is about building the infrastructure for change – across industries, across communities and for every American.”
The Brain Health Coalition’s unifying infrastructure is designed to align existing efforts, expand reach, and close the coordination gap that has prevented isolated advances from achieving scale. Its members include all stakeholders with real influence on outcomes: employers who influence workforce health decisions, physicians who set screening standards, insurers who determine what is covered, researchers who build the evidence base, and community organizations who reach the most vulnerable people.
The coalition operates in three pillars simultaneously – perception, education and policy – because progress in one cannot survive without the others. This integrated structure enables a lasting, meaningful impact.
The coalition is led by a founding steering committee including the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Health Council (NHC), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), with support from strategic founding partners including Eli Lilly & Company.
“We know that Alzheimer’s-related brain changes can begin decades before a single symptom appears, and midlife is a critical window to take action,” said Katie Evans, director of programs and mission engagement at the Alzheimer’s Association. “We are proud to stand alongside HealthyWomen and our coalition colleagues to build the cross-sector infrastructure that will help support a future where screening is as routine as checking blood pressure or cholesterol.”
HealthyWomen brings to this effort nearly 40 years of trusted relationships with patients, physicians, policymakers and the broader healthcare ecosystem. Nearly two-thirds of Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women, who also bear the majority of the burden of care. This reality shapes the coalition’s design, from biological risk factors to equity gaps to lived experiences, making HealthyWomen the right leader for a coalition designed to serve all Americans.
To learn more, visit BrainHealthCoalition.org.
About HealthyWomen: HealthyWomen is the nation’s leading independent, nonprofit health information source for women. HealthyWomen.org was the first website to comprehensively address women’s health and wellness issues and continues to educate women to make informed health decisions by providing objective, fact-based information. For nearly 40 years, women have turned to HealthyWomen to get answers to their most important health questions. To learn more, please visit www.HealthyWomen.org. Follow HealthyWomen on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.