The Way Healthcare Should Be
If you, or your spouse or parent, is concerned about dementia or Alzheimer’s, or already beginning to suffer from cognitive decline, there IS something you can do to slow the process, or even to reverse it! The good news is that the latest research in cognition has shown that lifestyle changes combined with a personalized medical protocol can significantly reduce cognitive decline. This means that we, as patients, can reduce our risk of cognitive decline, including Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
The benefits of participating in this collaborative research program are:
The Boothbay Region Health Center, under the guidance of Allan S. Teel, M.D., who has been specializing in the care of patients with cognitive decline for 40 years, launched a program to improve Brain Health in January 2020. People who are experiencing the early stages of cognitive decline or those who are concerned that they may be at hereditary risk of experiencing cognitive decline (Dementia, Alzheimer’s) are welcome to enroll in this ongoing collaborative research program. To join, you need to be enrolled into the Brain Health Program and be willing to commit to making lifestyle changes and following the personalized medical protocol that will address your specific issues. To be eligible, you need to reside in Maine at least part of the year, and your health insurance needs to be accepted in Maine.
The program began in January 2020 with 28 participants, adding more each year. This collaborative research program is still going strong in 2026 with over 160 active participants. The Boothbay Brain Health Protocol keeps evolving as we learn more.
One of the unique aspects of this Brain Health Program is that patients, their care partners, and their medical providers–Dr. Allan (Chip) Teel and Family Nurse Practitioner, Susan Lord–are all learning together and collaborating as a group to share insights and research. The Brain Health Group is sponsored by the Boothbay Region Health Center. It is based on Dr. Teel’s experience, as well as on the latest research in the field that has been carried out and documented 1) by Dr. Dale E. Bredesen, whose books and research form the foundation for this program, and 2) by other researchers around the world, whose published papers Dr. Teel and his patients research, study, and share. Over the years, Dr. Teel has added several clinical and lifestyle elements to Bredesen’s ReCode Protocol. So, we now refer to ours as the Boothbay Brain Health Protocol.
Insurance Covers Most Medical Expenses. Most of the medical expenses are covered by your health insurance. Doctor’s visits and most lab tests and brain scans are paid for by your health insurance. You may have co-pays, depending on your insurance coverage. And there may be some specialty lab tests that Dr. Teel will recommend that may not be covered by your health insurance. But you will know that before you commit to take those tests.
Group Members Donate to Support the Program. We also ask Brain Health Program members (patients and their care partners) to donate $50/month per person or $600/yr each for both patients and their care partners. This is MUCH less expensive than the $12,000/year fees typically charged by physicians who are part of the Apollo Health program based on Dr. Dale Bredesen’s research.
The Brain Health Collaborative Research Program includes:
For more information about this program, please read our Frequently Asked Questions document.