OBJECTIVE: To model survival and NHFS of Alzheimer Disease (AD) patients. To justify the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score as an important predictor of patient survival and nursing home utilization. METHODS: Survival models were applied to analyze the Minimum Uniform Data Set (MUDS), developed and maintained by Alzheimer Research Centers of California (ARCC). The study sample included 3150 AD patients, who enrolled in ARCC between Oct. 1992 and Jan. 1999. Cox regression models with and without time-dependent covariates were used in the analysis. Results were adjusted by comorbidities. RESULTS: The MMSE score was shown to be a strong predictor of both AD patients' survival and NHFS. One-unit increase of MMSE score (on a 30-point scale) corresponds to a 5.5% hazard reduction. That is to say, if a patient's 5-year survival probability is 0.500, with his MMSE score increased by one unit, the probability will be increased to 0.520. One unit increase of MMSE also corresponds to 6.4% hazard reduction in future nursing home utilization, which means a NHFS probability of 0.500 will be increased to 0.523. Female, black, and Hispanic had higher survival probability. Older age, longer education, and history of major psychosis in patient's primary relatives caused lower survival rate. Marriage and female gender increased NHFS; high value in Body mass index decreased NHFS. All the above results were significant at 0.01 or 0.05 level. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed MMSE was a strong predictor of patient survival and NHFS. Further study should be conducted to explore the possibility that MMSE score can be used as a clinical indicator for treating AD patients. It is also interesting that, older age doesn't have significant impact on NHFS although it is a strong predictor of survival. On the other hand, marriage has a significant impact on NHFS, but not on survival.