Program for Thursday April 30, 2026

Speaker: Peter Hollmann, MD, AGSF & Rebecca Masutani, MD, MHA

This session will help the attendee become aware of coding that is especially relevant to geriatrics health care professionals. Specific topics that will be addressed include: E/M (office and facility visit codes and Medicare Preventive Medicine codes) and an overview of coding and billing for the geriatrics professional.  Learning Objectives: (1) describe basic coding principles; (2) discuss key Medicare payment rules; and (3) interpret how to relate these to practice management.

Developed by the Research Committee 
 
Moderator: Andrew R. Zullo, PharmD, PhD

This session will present the latest peer-reviewed geriatrics research with questions and answers to follow.  Learning Objectives: (1) discuss new and original geriatrics research; (2) describe an emerging concept or new scientific focus in aging research; and (3) summarize the key findings of projects with relevance to care of older adults.

Impact of Discrepant Kidney Function Estimates on Medication Dosing in Older Adults                                                                                                    
Matthew E. Growdon, MD, MPH

Wildfire Smoke as a Trigger for Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma                                                                                                    
Aparna Reddy, BA

Purpose and Happiness Shape Older Adults’ Preferences for Length of Life vs Quality of Life: Findings From a National Study                                                                                                    
Niousha Moini, MD, MPH

Medication Regimen Complexity and Caregiver Difficulty in Assisting with Medication Management in U.S. Older Adults                                                                                                    Maryanne Kim, PharmD, MS, PhD

Co-chairs: Pavitri Dwivedi, DO & Sahiba Singh, MD

Please join other fellows, faculty members, and leaders in geriatrics at the annual Fellows-in-Training meeting. This event is a unique opportunity to share and discuss ideas, past experiences, and future career plans while networking with colleagues and mentors from across the country. 

Sponsored by the Teachers Section and the Education Committee  

Moderator: Mariah Robertson, MD, MPH 

This session presents a forum for teachers of geriatric education to share topics and materials of common interest, such as program development, curriculum, educational process and research in teaching and evaluation. Learning Objective: (1) describe and exchange geriatric education and teaching materials.

Evaluation of an Older Adult Medical School Alumni Mentorship Program for Students to Learn About Aging

Micayla Flores, MD

Passport to Geriatrics: Supporting Competency-Based Learning                                                                                                     

Kimberly J. Beiting, MD

Cardiovascular Care in Aging: An Educational Workshop for Medical Students                                                                                                     

Sarah K. Cunningham, BS

Using Generative AI to Support Resident-Led Senior Center Education: A Pilot Initiative                                                                                                     

Carolyn Chow, MD

Creation of a Virtual Age-Friendly Curriculum for Community Health Workers                                                                                                     

Adi Shafir, MD

Description coming soon

Co-Chairs: Lauren Ferrante, MD, MHS & Una Makris, MD, MSc 

Medical and surgical subspecialists will provide updates on activities within their disciplines, thereby showcasing opportunities for specialists to advance a geriatrics agenda within their specialty societies and their institutions. In addition, we will discuss career development topics relevant to junior faculty pursuing aging research.   All medical and surgical subspecialists are encouraged to attend.   

Co-Chairs: Tasha Woodall, PharmD, BCGP & Megan Carr, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP

The Pharmacists Section meeting is an opportunity for pharmacist members of AGS to network, share information about their AGS presentations, and discuss ways to collaborate. 

Please join other social workers and social work students at the Social Workers Section meeting. This session will provide an opportunity to meet, network, and collaborate with other social workers in the field of aging.  

Moderator: Luigi Ferrucci, MD, PhD

This session will explore the biology of aging and its direct relevance to clinical care, highlighting advances in precision geromedicine, biomarkers, artificial intelligence, and national research priorities. Attendees will gain a translational perspective on how emerging science in aging biology is reshaping prevention, therapeutics, and healthspan-focused care. Learning Objectives: (1) explain key biological mechanisms of aging and their implications for clinical practice and precision geromedicine; (2) evaluate the role of biomarkers in gerotherapeutic trials and their relationship to meaningful clinical outcomes; (3) describe how artificial intelligence is accelerating discovery in aging biology and enabling translational applications; and (4) summarize current national research priorities, including those of the National Institute on Aging, and their implications for future clinical and research directions.

 Biology of Aging: Precision Geromedicine and Clinical Care
Luigi L. Ferrucci, MD, PhD

Biomarkers and Clinical Outcomes in Gerotherapeutic Trials
Stephen Kritchevsky, PhD

Artificial Intelligence in Aging Biology: Accelerating Discovery and Translation
Nathan Price, PhD

Current Research Priorities in Aging: Strategic Directions and Future Opportunities
Viviana Perez Montes, PhD

Co-Chairs: Lisa N. Miura, MD & Lee A. Jennings, MD, MSHS
 

This Section is intended for AGS members of all disciplines working in geriatrics. The purpose is to provide a forum for women to discuss challenges and share ideas related to their personal and professional lives. 

Developed by the Research Committee  
Moderator: Alison A. Moore, MD, MPH, FACP, AGSF

This session will present the top three research abstracts based on average score, quality, originality and methodology of research.  Learning Objectives: (1) describe emerging concepts or a new scientific focus in aging research; and (2) summarize the key findings of research with relevance to care of older adults.

Sacubitril/Valsartan Use across Transitions between Community, Hospital, and Skilled Nursing Facility Settings   
Andrew R. Zullo, PharmD, PhD

Effectiveness of Pharmacist-Led Telemedicine Deprescribing vs. Usual Care for Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment: A Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial                                  
Ariel R. Green, MD, PhD, MPH

Measuring Hospitalization, Deaths, and Hospice Care from Skilled Nursing Facility Electronic Health Records vs. Medicare Claims
Christopher M. Santostefano, MPH, RN

Sponsored by the Ethics Committee

Moderator: Ursula K. Braun, MD, MPH

Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED) is increasingly discussed as a patient-directed option to hasten death in the context of serious illness. Dementia-specific advance directives that instruct proxies and clinicians to withhold or stop assisted feeding and drinking once an individual reaches moderate or severe dementia aim to avoid years of life in a condition the authors of such directives view as inconsistent with their core values and identity.​ Clinicians in geriatrics and long-term care may increasingly encounter such documents, yet may express ethical unease and uncertainty about whether and how to honor them. Concerns include whether assisted hand-feeding constitutes basic care rather than medical treatment, the moral weight of the “current” experiential interests of a content but severely demented person, and regulatory fears related to survey citations or allegations of neglect. At the same time, ethicists and legal scholars argue that clear dementia VSED directives may fall within established rights to refuse life-sustaining interventions and can be implemented within a robust palliative framework.​ In this point–counterpoint session, two experts will debate whether dementia-specific VSED advance directives are ethically justifiable and whether physicians and interdisciplinary teams should assist in drafting, interpreting, and operationalizing them in clinical and long-term care settings. Using a case-based format, speakers will explore conceptual, clinical, legal, and systems-level implications and identify practical strategies for counseling patients and families who bring these directives to the clinical encounter.​ Learning Objectives: (1) describe key ethical arguments for and against honoring dementia-specific advance directives that request voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED)​; (2) differentiate between contemporaneous VSED by a capacitated patient and VSED implemented later by an advance directive in the context of moderate to severe dementia; (3) identify practical and regulatory challenges clinicians and long-term care facilities face when asked to honor dementia VSED directives and potential strategies to address them; and (4) formulate an approach to counseling patients and families who request or present dementia-specific VSED directives, including communication about goals of care and palliative support.​

Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking in Dementia by Advance Directive: A Case Report
Ursula K. Braun, MD, MPH 

Are Dementia-Specific Advance Directives that Request Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking Ethically Acceptable and Should Physicians Actively Support and Implement Them?
Pro: Thaddeus M. Pope, JD, PhD
Con: Farr A. Curlin, MD

Developed by the Research Committee  and the Cancer and Aging Special Interest Group

Co-Moderators: Kah Poh Loh, MD, MS, FASCO, FACCC, AGSF & John A. Batsis, MD, AGSF

This symposium will target clinicians, researchers and other interprofessional members, including a broad audience of any health professional from any discipline who has or is interested in learning either how to work collaboratively with computer scientists or engineers, and potential examples as to how to integrate such technologies to improve patient care. Learning Objectives: (1) discuss the implementation and evaluation of AI-based cognitive assessments in detecting cognitive and frailty decline; review basic terminology related to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and GenAI in healthcare and the barriers and facilitators of using these in clinical care of the older adult with cancer; and evaluate the utility of artificial intelligence–equipped video surveillance for detecting falls in assisted living settings.

Use of Machine Learning Models in Free-Living Accelerometry Data to Predict Cognitive and Frailty Decline in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Megan Huisingh-Scheetz, MD, MPH

Differential Assessment of AI/ML and Generative AI/ML (LLMs) Performance in Predicting Nutritional and Functional Status in Clinical Notes in Geriatric Oncology
Melody K. Schiaffino, PhD, MPH

The Validity of Artificial Intelligence to Detect Falls Among Persons with Dementia
Sheryl Zimmerman, PhD

Moderator: Joseph Shega, MD

Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, psychosis, and behavioral symptoms of dementia are highly prevalent in older adults and frequently managed in primary care. In recent years, several newer psychotropic medications and novel formulations have entered the market. However, evidence in geriatric populations is frequently limited, and real-world considerations—including polypharmacy, frailty, cognitive impairment, falls risk, cost, and access—complicate prescribing decisions.

This session will provide a pragmatic, evidence-informed approach to prescribing newer medications for common mental illnesses in older adults. Faculty will review indications, comparative effectiveness, safety concerns specific to aging physiology, drug–drug interactions, deprescribing considerations, and cost/access issues. Emphasis will be placed on integrating these medications into comprehensive care plans while minimizing harm and aligning treatment with patient goals and quality of life.

Learning Objectives: (1) identify common newer medications used to treat depression, anxiety, psychosis, and related conditions, and describe their proposed advantages over traditional therapies; (2) evaluate the evidence for efficacy and safety of newer psychotropic medications in older adults, recognizing limitations in geriatric-specific data; and (3) develop a practical approach to monitoring, reassessment, and deprescribing when newer medications are initiated in geriatric primary care.

Newer Psychotropics in Geriatric Primary Care: Hype, Hope, and Practical Prescribing
Cynthia D. Fields, MD

Balancing Innovation and Safety: Using New Mental Health Medications in Older Adults
Dan Haimowitz, MD, FACP, CMD

Developed by the Research Committee   

Moderator: Reena Karani, MD, MHPE

This session will present the latest peer-reviewed geriatrics research with questions and answers to follow.  Learning Objectives: (1) discuss new and original geriatrics research; (2) describe an emerging concept or new scientific focus in aging research; and (3) summarize the key findings of projects with relevance to care of older adults.

Exploring Users' Perspectives of the Driving and Dementia Roadmap                                                                                                     
Gary Naglie, MD, FRCPC, FCGS, FGSA

Feasibility and Efficacy of Advance Care Planning Pop-Ups Among Urban, Community-Dwelling Older Adults                                                                                                     
Karina A. Mak, BA

A Virtual Geriatric Case Competition Offers a Scalable Activity for Health Science Students to Achieve Interprofessional Collaboration Competencies                                                                                                     
Kristine M.C. Talley, PhD, CNP, RN, FGSA

Evidence-Based Approaches for People Living with Dementia: An Educational Strategy for Healthcare Professionals                                                                                                     
Kimberly D. Davis, PhD, RN, CNE

Developed by the Ethics and Ethnogeriatrics Committee

Moderator: Ramona L. Rhodes, MD, MPH, MSCS, AGSF, FAAHPM

In this symposium, the speakers will provide an overview of social drivers of health (SDOH) and their unique impacts on the health and well-being of older adults. Learning Objectives: (1) define key terms related to SDOH and explain the impact of SDOH on geriatric health outcomes and health equity; (2) explain how Geriatric clinical settings can screen for and address social risks and social needs; (3) provide examples of how to incorporate SDOH into Geriatrics health professions education; and (4) describe how SDOH can be integrated into Age-Friendly care using a new conceptual model to improve health equity for older adults.

 Impact of SDOH on the Health and Well-Being of Older Adults
Martina Azar, PhD & Naila Elizabeth Edwards, MBBCHBAO

Identifying and Addressing Social Needs in Geriatrics Clinical Settings
Brittany L. Trabaris, MSW, LCSW & Gabriela Cohen, MD

Integrating SDOH into Health Professions Education
Laura K. Byerly, MD

A Conceptual Model to Integrate SDOH into Age Friendly Care
Meaghan A. Kennedy, MD, MPH

Sponsored by the National Institute on Aging for new and early-stage researchers in cooperation with the AGS Research Committee 
 

This session targets the needs of new and early-career investigators, providing an overview of NIA and opportunities across its aging research portfolio. The session will begin with an introduction to NIA, its mission, and organizational structure. Then, staff will share a presentation on early-career funding opportunities and strategies for seeking an NIA grant. Finally, program staff from across NIA’s scientific divisions, as well as an early-career researcher, will share perspectives and remarks, leading to a concluding Q+A segment. Learning Objectives: (1) describe the NIA mission and the NIA scientific divisions supporting early-stage investigators; (2) discuss recent policy changes which affect the funding environment; and (3) describe the funding landscape, including opportunities and resources relevant to early-career researchers.
 

Introduction to NIA
Richard Hodes, MD
 

How to Get an NIA Grant
Kenneth Santora, PhD 

Presentations from NIA Divisions and Programs:

• NIA Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology: Marcel Salive, MD, MPH 

• NIA Division of Behavioral and Social Research: Amelia W. Karraker, PhD 

• NIA Division of Neuroscience: Dave Frankowski, PhD

• NIA Division of Aging Biology: Christy S. Carter, PhD 

• NIA Office of Strategic Extramural Programs: Shoshana Y. Kahana, PhD

• NIA Intramural Research Program: Luigi L. Ferrucci, MD, PhD 

Early-Career Researcher Perspective
Snigdha Jain, MD, MHS, Chair, AGS Junior Faculty Research SIG 

Presenter: Todd P. Semla, MS, PharmD, FCCP, AGSF

The 1968 Task Force on Prescription Drug Use was the U.S. government’s first ever report on prescription drug use by older adults. Using the Task Force’s findings and recommendations as a beginning, this lecture will chronicle the progress in pharmacotherapy for older adults. Areas of impact include advances in pharmacology, interventions to improve medication use, and the expanded roles and responsibilities of pharmacists. Lastly, a look to the future, and what might be possible. Learning Objectives: (1) Describe how the 1968 Task Force shaped subsequent developments in pharmacotherapy for older adults; (2) Identify major advances in geriatric pharmacology and evidence-based interventions that have improved medication safety, adherence, and outcomes in older adults; and (3) Discuss the evolving and future roles of pharmacists in optimizing medication use for aging populations, including emerging models of care and innovations that may influence geriatric pharmacotherapy.

Moderator: Michael W. Rich, MD, AGSF, FACC

This symposium will provide geriatrics providers with an evidence-based update on anticoagulation management in older adults, addressing atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, emerging therapies, deprescribing, and individualized decision-making across care settings. Learning Objectives: (1) evaluate the risks and benefits of anticoagulation strategies in older adults with atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, and complex comorbidities; (2) apply current evidence and guideline recommendations to anticoagulation decision-making in geriatric and long-term care settings; (3) individualize anticoagulation therapy by incorporating patient-specific factors such as frailty, cognitive impairment, fall risk, renal function, and goals of care; (4) integrate emerging anticoagulation therapies into clinical practice while considering safety, efficacy, and applicability in older adults; and (5) identify clinical scenarios in which deprescribing anticoagulants is appropriate and implement safe deprescribing strategies.

Introduction
Michael W. Rich, MD, AGSF, FACC

Atrial Fibrillation: Anticoagulation or Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion? 
Darae Ko, MD, MSc

Anticoagulation for Atrial Fibrillation in Long-Term Care: What is the Evidence? 
Michael W. Rich, MD, AGSF, FACC

Emerging Anticoagulation Therapies in Older Adults: Factor XIa Inhibitors and Beyond
Brian F. Gage, MD, MSc

Deprescribing Anticoagulants in Older Adults: When to Say When 
Sunny Linnebur, PharmD

Anticoagulation for DVT: What Is the Best Option for my Patient? 
Andrew R. Zullo, PharmD, PhD

Co-Moderators: Lindsey M. Haddock, MD, MAEd & Carolina Fonseca Valencia, MD, FACP

Developed by the Education Committee and the Teachers Section

This session will review the various components of the EP and empower interprofessional geriatrics educators to create their own EP to showcase their value as an educator and support career advancement. Attendees will have access to on-line resources to help create their own educator portfolios. Learning Objectives: (1) describe how an educator portfolio can support career advancement; (2) explain the various components and the documentation/materials required to create an Educator Portfolio; (3) utilize the Educator Portfolio to overcome inequities and bias towards the value, impact and scholarly output of an interprofessional educator as opposed to more traditional forms of scholarship; (4) explain the difference between role model, mentor, coach and sponsor; (5) describe best practices for building productive, respectful, and goal-oriented mentoring relationships; and (6) empower interprofessional mentees to self-advocate and promote their careers.

Teaching and Assessment
Rose Maria van Zuilen, PhD

Strategically Showcasing Curriculum Development Activities: You’re Doing More Than You Think
Rachel Jantea, MD, MS

Mastering Mentorship: Skills for Empowering Interprofessional Mentees
Annette Medina-Walpole, MD