Statewide advocate Tamara Minter named recipient of 2024 Frank Carlino Award
Tamara Minter of Pittsford is the 2024 recipient of the Frank Carlino Award from the Alzheimer’s Association in recognition of her outstanding advocacy on behalf of individuals and families living with Alzheimer’s and all other dementias.
The award was presented in Albany on Feb. 26 as part of New York State Alzheimer’s Advocacy Day.
“Tamara is a dedicated advocate who has demonstrated unwavering commitment to raising awareness about Alzheimer’s disease and supporting affected individuals, especially those in the African American population,” says Lauren Ashburn, associate director of advocacy, New York state, for the Alzheimer’s Association. “She has taken a proactive role in drawing attention to the higher likelihood of Alzheimer’s diagnoses in African Americans and works to provide education, services and support to the community.”
Minter began her Alzheimer’s advocacy through her membership in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., an international service organization for African American women. She served as health chairwoman for Rochester’s Delta Nu Omega Chapter. “I realized that my great-grandmother, grandmother and mother, who was a social activist herself, most likely had Alzheimer’s or a form of dementia, and I see more and more older women in our community passing away with this disease every year,” Minter says.
She became a driving force behind the annual Dr. Lemuel & Gloria Rogers African American Health Symposium, focusing on health equity, education and hope for the African American community affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias.
In addition, Minter has engaged in advocacy initiatives alongside U.S. Congressman Joe Morelle (D-NY 25) and New York State Senator Samra Brouk (D-NY 55), who chairs the Senate Committee on Mental Health. She advocated and received support from U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) for equitable access and Medicare coverage for FDA-approved drugs to manage early-stage Alzheimer’s. Her continued dedication led to an invitation to attend the national Alzheimer’s Advocacy Forum in Washington, D.C.
“Tamara Minter is a tireless advocate for health education and health equity in the Rochester community. She provides a template for the next generation of strength, commitment and grace in pursuit of better life and health outcomes,” says Arlene Wilson, senior director of programs for the Rochester & Finger Lakes Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. “Her commitment makes her a deserving recipient of Advocate of the Year.”
“We need to make more people in the African American community aware of Alzheimer’s and the resources available to caregivers, such as respite,” Minter says. “I am committed to knocking down barriers now and in the future.”
The Frank Carlino Award is named for Frank Carlino of Cornwall, New York, who became the face of Alzheimer’s at a time when people with the disease did not speak out about it. Carlino shared his experience living with Alzheimer’s in a variety of public settings, including testimony before Congress in 2000.
In New York state alone, there are more than 410,000 people who live with Alzheimer’s disease and 586,000 caregivers who provide 7.74 million hours of unpaid care to their loved ones with dementia valued at nearly $15 million.