Program for Thursday May 12, 2022

Chair: George A. Kuchel, MD, CM

The Geroscience SIG brings together AGS members from varied backgrounds who all share a common interest in efforts to leverage our understanding of basic aging processes towards the discovery, validation and implementation of intervention strategies designed to promote health, function and independence in late life. 

The mission of the Healthcare for Low-Income Seniors Special Interest Group is to improve the quality and outcome of healthcare and to maximize independence among low-income seniors by: bringing together geriatrics professionals dedicated to the care of the poor; disseminating practical solutions and innovative geriatrics team care models; and advocating for public policy change to better address the needs of this population.  The Healthcare for Low-Income Seniors SIG is open to all AGS meeting participants.

Roundtable Discussion of AGS Symposium: “Connecting Our Patients with Home and Community Based Services”

Featured Panelists: Ugochi Ohuabunwa, MD, Chief, Geriatrics Service Line, Grady Hospital, and Professor of Medicine, Emory University; Dawn Butler, MSW, JD, Director, GRACE Training & Resource Center, and Co-Director, IU GWEP, Indiana University; Charles Pu, MD, FACP, CMD, Senior Medical Director, MassHealth, and Commonwealth Medicine, UMass Medical School

Co-Chairs: Kathryn M. Daniel, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, GNP-BC, GS-C, AGSF & Paul L. Mulhausen, MD, MHS, AGSF, FACP

The Healthy Aging Special Interest Group (SIG) focuses on ways to promote healthy aging initiatives at AGS.   Are you interested in meeting others who are passionate about Healthy Aging?  This SIG is for you!  Are you interested in hearing more about ways to Age Well and promote Healthy Aging?  This SIG is for you!  Would you like to see more and hear more at AGS meetings about Healthy Aging and ways to Age Well?  This SIG is for you!   Do you have ideas about how to promote healthy aging initiatives at AGS?  This SIG is for you!   Are you looking for ways to integrate prevention, wellness, and lifestyle medicine into your care of Older Adults?  This SIG is for you!  Join us.  Meet us. Help us strategize ways expand and intensify the AGS focus on Healthy Aging.  We welcome your enthusiasm, presence, support, and contributions.

Chair: Eva M. Schmitt, PhD

The mission of the HELP / Delirium Prevention SIG is to allow all current and potentially interested HELP sites to come together to hear the latest updates about HELP and delirium prevention, as well as to network and discuss successes and challenges in the planning or implementation process. HELP is an innovative model of hospital care designed to prevent delirium and functional decline and to improve overall quality of hospital care for older persons. The program has been demonstrated to be both effective and cost-effective, with the potential for large cost savings.

Co-Chairs: Ariba Khan, MD, MPH & Niharika Suchak, MBBS, MHS, FACP

This SIG promotes awareness of global trends in aging and healthcare issues in older adults that span continents and cross international borders.  It focuses on developing proposals for AGS annual meetings regarding global challenges and successful strategies in health care delivery for older adults and models of care (including adaptation for local use), and design and implementation of geriatrics training programs in multiple health professions.

Co-Chairs: Josette A. Rivera, MD & Todd C. James, MD

The Interprofessional Education and Practice (IPE/P) Special Interest Group welcomes all AGS members to explore how broad health professional interest in collaboration is changing health education and practice. Interprofessional education refers to when “two or more professionals learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes” (WHO, 2010). Please join us to explore opportunities to advance geriatric care and collaborative practice with new educational initiatives, curricula, and models of care.

Chair: Gregory Ouellet, MD

The Junior Faculty Research Career Development Special Interest Group is for junior faculty members and research fellows pursuing careers in aging-related research. Annual updates on funding opportunity and SIG activities, planning future AGS meeting symposia, and election of new SIG leaders.

Co-Chairs: Leah Taffel, MD; Christine Liu, MD

Our SIG is dedicated to improving health outcomes and quality of life for older adults with advanced kidney disease, who are some of the sickest and most frail individuals in our health care system. Our ultimate goal is to foster collaboration and communication between patients, families/caregivers, and clinicians. During our meeting, we will discuss: 1) the need for  interdisciplinary collaboration, especially with advanced care planning; 2) ways to facilitate the involvement of families/caregivers ; 3) strategies to medically manage advanced kidney disease; and 4) recent policy and insurance changes for older adults with advanced kidney disease. 

Co-Chairs: Mona Gupta, MD; Kayreb Nazyrcim, MD 

This SIG promotes awareness of palliative care issues in the geriatrics community and hopes to identify and build on synergies that exist between geriatrics and palliative care.

Chair:  Thomas Edes, MD

The Veterans Health Administration Special Interest Group is open to all attendees who have an interest in caring for America’s aging Veteran population.  Representatives from the Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care in VA Central Office will be there to provide an update on VA strategic plans, national perspective on current initiatives and to facilitate discussion on items of interest brought by participants.

Please join AGS leaders and staff as we welcome our new members at the New Member Reception. If you are a new member, this is a perfect opportunity to connect with AGS, ADGAP and Health in Aging Foundation Board members as well as with the leaders of our state affiliates.  

Join us as we toast #AGS22 at a dance party with colleagues from across the country and around the world.