The American Geriatrics Society's
Foundation for Health in Aging

The FHA is a national non-profit organization established by the American Geriatrics Society in 1999. The Foundation serves as a bridge between the research and practice of geriatrics and the public. It enhances the health and wellbeing of older adults by: educating older people, their loved ones, caregivers and others about the health and healthcare needs of the aging; helping older people find appropriate healthcare; supporting research into health and aging; and advocating for public policy that enhances older Americans' access to quality healthcare.

In 2008, the FHA continued to contribute to the health and wellbeing of older people via:

• Leading Awards Programs that advance research and support clinicians and scientists working to improve healthcare for older adults. With the generous support of the John A. Hartford Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies, the AGS and FHA awarded nearly $3 million to 15 noted physician-researchers - recipients of the 2008 T. Franklin Williams Scholars Award, and the 2008 Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholars Awards.
  
  
• "An Evening With Friends" and The Student Researcher Fund Supported by the FHA's annual "Evening with Friends" benefit and contributions from AGS members, the fund defrays travel costs for promising students who have been invited to attend and present their research at the AGS Annual Meeting. Ensuring that these students can attend the meeting - and get a better sense of the myriad opportunities and satisfactions that careers in geriatrics afford - is an important part of the AGS and FHA's effort to boost recruitment into the field. With assistance from the Student Researcher Fund, 126 students from all healthcare disciplines were able to attend and present their findings at the 2008 meeting.
  
  
• The free, easy-to-read elder health information it produces and disseminates Throughout 2008, the FHA continued to expand the wide selection of free public education materials it publishes for older adults, their family members and caregivers. These materials include easily understandable health "tip sheets," summaries of the latest research published in JAGS, and a wealth of up-to-date articles about health problems common among older adults. They are available on the FHA's free website, www.healthinaging.org.
  
  
• Its free clinician referral service Through its free referral service, the FHA helps older adults find geriatrics healthcare providers in their communities.
  
  
• Ongoing efforts to raise public awareness of the risks that falls pose to older adults During AGS' 2008 Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, AGS members volunteered for an FHA-sponsored event that screened more than 150 older adults for increased risks of falling. Volunteers also distributed information about the dangers of falls and how to prevent them.
  
  
• Headlines! In 2008, AGS and the FHA secured 938 mentions in the media - with such outlets as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, US News and World Report, USA Today, and National Public Radio. That number was up from 547 mentions in 2007.

The FHA's 2008 Board of Directors