THEPOWER OF LOVE®

FEBRUARY 18 MARKED THE FUTURE OF NEUROLOGICAL CARE IN NEVADA

SERVING UP A RECIPE FOR NEUROLOGICAL CARE

So an energetic maître d’ and a chef walk into a neurology desert… But make no mistake: This isn’t the beginning of one of “those” jokes. Rather, it was the beginning of one family’s legacy that has impacted a city of more than 2 million. And we’re deadly serious.

When Angie and Lou Ruvo relocated from Niagara Falls, New York, to Las Vegas in 1955 with their son, Larry, age 9, they opened the Venetian Ristorante. It was the “see and be seen” dining experience in town, attracting celebrities and locals alike. Angie was widely regarded as Las Vegas’ first celebrity chef. Lou never forgot a face, and would greet guests with a question about a mutual friend or the continuation of a previous conversation.

ALZHEIMER’S: AN UNINVITED GUEST

Fast forward to 1991 and changes in Lou’s memory had become undeniable. The desert town that had been a great venue for growing a business and raising a son didn’t have the healthcare resources the Ruvo family needed.

After visiting numerous doctors in search of an explanation for the changes friends and family had noticed in Lou, Angie Ruvo met Leon Thal, MD, in San Diego. The renowned researcher put his hand on her shoulder and said, “Mrs. Ruvo, you have a 24-hour-a-day job here. Lou has Alzheimer’s disease.”

Less than three years later, on February 18, 1994, Angie found Lou dead on their bedroom floor from a heart attack.

THE RISE OF RUVO: WORLD-CLASS NEUROLOGY CARE EMERGES FROM THE DESERT DUST

Camille and Larry Ruvo set about to deliver to Nevada families living with Alzheimer’s disease the reassurance that a firm diagnosis and ongoing education and support can offer. In 2007 they broke ground on a Frank Gehry-designed structure in downtown Las Vegas.

JULY 13, 2009: CLEVELAND CLINIC LOU RUVO CENTER FOR BRAIN HEALTH OPENS

To date, the center has provided more than 92,500 visits to our free care partner and community educational, therapeutic and support services. We’ve hosted more than 268,500 patient visits, and expanded to treat and research additional neurodegenerative diseases, earning designations for research and care.

IN A NEUROLOGY DESERT, THE NEED IS FAR-REACHING

Yet, even with these accomplishments, there’s still not enough access to accommodate the oncoming neurological tsunami. Declaring Nevada a “neurology desert,” the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2022 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts & Figures report projects that by 2025, our state will have fewer than 10 neurologists per 10,000 residents with dementia — despite ranking third nationwide for anticipated growth of Alzheimer’s disease.

Factor in the impact of Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and the other movement disorders we treat, as well as that of multiple sclerosis, and it is clear Nevada is facing an unprecedented need.

Larry Ruvo, with his mother, Angie, at the 2019 gala