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Tuesday, May 13, 2008
AGS Announcements
Nearly 2,700 Gather For AGS' 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC
With more than 600 geriatrics experts presenting studies and leading sessions concerning geriatrics research, clinical care and education; nearly 100 members meeting with legislators to advocate for policies supporting quality elder care; and trainee and other AGS member volunteers offering free falls screening to older adults, the American Geriatrics Society's 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting highlighted the many initiatives that support the Society's efforts to ensure that older adults have access to high quality, patient-centered health care. Nearly 2,700 attended the meeting, which ran from April 30 through May 4 in Washington, D.C.
During the meeting's awards ceremony, AGS recognized the contributions of investigators, clinicians, advocates and others whose work has significantly improved the health and well being of older adults. Outgoing President Todd Semla, PharmD became Chair of the Society's Board of Directors, and John Murphy, MD, took the helm as President. The results of the 2008 Board election and Board appointments were announced. AGS members approved a Bylaws amendment allowing for a second Board term for Chairs of the Council of State Affiliates Representatives (COSAR) but defeated an amendment that would have allowed for a competitive election for President-Elect.
Watch for the soon-to-be-released AGS 2008 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting, featuring webcasts of many of the sessions at the 2008 Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC. Access will be free to annual meeting attendees, and for a fee for non-attendees.
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Calling All AGS Physician Members: Please Respond to Dmrkynetic Practice Information Survey Update
For the first time in nearly a decade, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), the American Medical Association (AMA), and more than 70 other health care professional organizations have worked together to coordinate a comprehensive multi-specialty survey of America's physician practices. To date, 30% of the randomly selected AGS physician members have completed the survey. We are hoping for 100% participation.
Of particular importance to geriatricians is the section of the study pertaining to practice expenses. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has indicated it will use the results of this study to help determine physician payment.
If you receive this confidential survey from the dmrkynetec survey firm, please complete it. Your response will help us represent you when advocating for appropriate reimbursement for the care that you provide. Full Story
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What's Up in Washington
Heparin Products Containing Deadly Contaminant May Still Be On Shelves; FDA Calls on All Health Professionals and Facilities to Check Stocks
Despite a nationwide recall, injectable heparin products and heparin flush solutions that may be contaminated with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate have been found in medical care facilities in the US, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"Although product recall instructions were widely distributed, they may not have been fully acted upon at all sites where heparin is used," the agency reported last week. "There have been many reports of deaths associated with allergic or hypotensive symptoms after heparin administration.
The FDA urges all healthcare professionals and facilities to check all drug and device storage areas, including emergency kits, dialysis units and automated drug storage cabinets to ensure that all of the recalled heparin products have been removed and are no longer available for patient use. Professionals and facilities should also check other types of medical devices that contain, or are coated with, heparin. All adverse reactions associated with these devices, heparin, or heparin flush solutions, should be reported to the FDA. Contact the agency's Division of Drug Information at 301-796-3400 for more information.
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Other News
American Medical Students Association Geriatrics Interest Group Needs Your Help With Its Campaign on Behalf of "The Caring for an Aging America Act of 2008"
To help alleviate the near-critical shortage of geriatrics health professionals in the US, the American Medical Students Association (AMSA) Geriatrics Interest Group has launched a campaign on behalf of the proposed "Caring for an Aging America Act of 2008."
The group is circulating a petition calling on Congress to approve the legislation. Authored by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME), it would create a loan forgiveness program for professionals who complete training in geriatrics or gerontology and care for older adults for at least two years afterward.
AMSA's geriatrics group, which drafted the petition at the American Geriatrics Society's Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, DC, last week, collected signatures from nearly 120 students and healthcare professionals during the meeting.
"We need your help to help keep the wave going!" says group co-leader Jeremy Berger. "The AMSA Geriatrics Interest Group needs your help to support this important piece of legislation."
You can read, sign and forward the online petition to others, and review an online list of current signees.
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AARP and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative Aims to Address Serious Nursing Shortage in US
The serious shortage of trained nurses in the US could jeopardize the quality of healthcare in this country, AARP warned last week, during National Nurses Week. As the growing population of older adults in the US boosts demand for nursing services, the shortfall could reach crisis proportions, cautioned AARP, which counts nearly 40 million members, all 50 or older.
To address this severe shortage, the AARP Foundation -- AARP's affiliated charity -- and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have established the Center to Champion Nursing in America. The Center will seek to actively influence public policy, increase federal and state funding to support nursing education programs, and improve retention of nurses by finding ways to empower nurses in decision making on boards and in management, according the non-profit, non-partisan AARP.
There are currently 118,000 unfilled nursing positions in hospitals alone. Without an aggressive effort to increase nurses' ranks, by 2020 the workforce will be one million short of what is needed to care for Americans.
"We must put a halt to this shortage," Susan Reinhard, Senior Vice President of the AARP Public Policy Institute, said last week. "We know that our aging population will only put increased demand on the services of nurses, but without the nursing faculty to train the next generation of nurses we are facing a crisis. We cannot keep turning away qualified students from this field because we don't have the staff to train them and expect the problem of fewer nurses to solve itself on its own."
"AARP will bring the powerful voice of consumers to advocate for resources to end the faculty shortage", the organization noted in a press release. According to AARP, the Center will also work with nurse leaders, health organizations, businesses and policy makers to develop a comprehensive strategy to address the nursing faculty shortage.
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FREE PDF of the IOM Workforce Report Now Available
Due to overwhelming interest, a PDF of the prepublication copy of "Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce" is now available for FREE downloading on the National Academies Press (NAP) website. Once you reach the NAP Web page for this IOM report, you will need to scroll down, click on "Sign In," and provide some general information about yourself before downloading your copy. Please note: the final report will also be available as a free PDF. Get a free PDF of Retooling for an Aging America.
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Member and Benefit News
Member News
Jeffrey M. Levine, MD, has taken photographs over his twenty-five year career as a geriatrician and is now exhibiting his photography in a show entitled, "Aging Through a Physician's Lens". Dr. Levine's photography captures the vulnerability, dignity, and inner strength of older adults, while focusing on the need for increased numbers of geriatric physicians.
The show is scheduled for debut at the National Arts Club in New York City on May 12, and will then travel to medical schools around the country. Don't miss the opening reception on Wednesday, May 21, from 5 to 8 PM. For more information or inquiries about booking this exhibit please call Dr. Levine at 212-253-5601 or email info@shcny.com.
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Eligibility for Committee and Subcommittee Membership
Opportunities to join the American Geriatrics Society's critically important committees and subcommittees -- and work on key geriatrics issues at the national level -- are among the many benefits of membership in the Society. Focusing on a wide array of aspects of geriatrics care, research, and training, AGS' diverse committees and subcommittees make vital contributions to the Society's efforts to ensure older adults access to quality healthcare. More information about AGS committees and subcommittees, their roles, the nominations process, and committee and subcommittee members' responsibilities is available on the AGS Web site.
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Things We Like
Featuring 80-Something Dance Partners, Tango Octogenario Delights at Film Fests, on Pubic TV, and the Web
Recently aired on public television in New York City, Tango Octogenario is a short film about an older couple who go largely unnoticed, until they step onto the ballroom floor. The film stars husband and wife dance partners Alex and Jean Turney, both in their 80s. It was a favorite at the Forth International Dance Film Festival in Yokohama, Japan, and has aired at numerous other film fests worldwide.
Shot in New York City's Lower East Side, Tango Octogenario follows the couple from a bustling street into an empty ballroom where a middle-aged man with a broom sweeps up after a previous event. The couple have been expected. From somewhere off camera, a tango score begins and, as the man with the broom watches, enthralled, the two embark on an intensely moving dance of separation and reunion.
"Tango Octogenario tells its story in a manner that treads the line between grim reality and fairy tale," the Woodstock Film Fest noted. "This stylization suits the exploration of the film's themes: the hidden lives of marginalized people, the elderly as vital contributors to society, the curative powers of art, and the power of art to forge bonds. Its most salient characteristic the portrayal of seniors as active, vibrant, and independent, is a much-needed antidote to the stereotypical representations of America's graying population."
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Spotlight on AGS Affiliates
Ohio Geriatrics Society Announces First Annual Jerry Kowal Scholarship
The Ohio Geriatrics Society announced its first annual Jerry Kowal scholarship winners. Each student competed for the award with a written short essay and submission of a letter of recommendation. Three honorees were given the award this year. The 2008 winners are
- Anna Hennon from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
- Aaron Daniel Shmookler from University of Toledo School of Medicine
- Katherine C. Ritchey from Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine
The American Geriatrics Society extends its congratulations to the winners.
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West Virginia Geriatrics Society to Co-sponsor a Continuing Education Event on The IOM Report and its Implications for West Virginia
The West Virginia Geriatrics Society (WVGS), CAMC Health Education and Research Institute, and Cabell Huntington Hospital Senior Services are co-sponsoring a continuing education opportunity on the recently released Institute of Medicine Report (IOM), "Retooling for an Aging America: Building the Health Care Workforce". The event, slated for Monday, May 19, will include a dinner at 5:30 pm, followed by an hour-long lecture at 6:15 pm in the Cabell Huntington Hospital.
AGS member, Mark A. Newbrough, MD, President, West Virginia Geriatrics Society, Director, West Virginia Geriatric Education Center, and Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Robert C. Byrd HSC at West Virginia University - Charleston Division, and Shirley Neitch, MD, also with the WVGS, will provide an introduction to the IOM report and an interdisciplinary town hall discussion in which participants will consider the implications for the Huntington region and the state of West Virginia as a whole.
The educational event is intended for all health care professionals including social work, nursing, pharmacy and medicine including primary care and sub specialty practitioners. Continuing education credit is available for this event. Registration is free. Please call (304) 526-2695 or email alisha.adkins@chhi.org to reserve a space.
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Upcoming Deadlines
Health and Aging Policy Fellows 2008 Call For Applications (Deadline: May 27, 2008)
Health and Aging Policy Fellows, a new program supported by the Atlantic Philanthropies and administered by Columbia University, is now accepting applications for the 2008 award cycle. The Health and Aging Policy Fellows program aims to advance healthcare professional's knowledge and experience in policy-making that affects older Americans by providing them with experience and skills necessary to make positive contributions to the development and implementation of future health care policies. The Fellows Program offers two different tracks for individual placement: a nine-to-12-month placement in Washington, D.C. or at a state agency (residential track); and a health policy project and brief placement(s) throughout the year at relevant sites (non-residential track) to achieve this goal. The applications deadline for the 2008 award cycle is May 27.
Contact Harold Alan Pincus, M.D., Director of the program, (pincush@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu or 212-543-5400) or Phuong Trang Huynh, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the program (huynhpt@pi.cpmc.columbia.edu or 212-543-6213).
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Call for Application for the Hartford Leadership Scholars Program & Hartford Senior Scholars Program (Deadline: June 1, 2008)
The John A. Hartford Foundation and ADGAP are pleased to announce a call for applications for two grant programs: the Hartford Geriatrics Leadership Scholars Program and the Hartford Senior Geriatrics Leadership Scholars Program.
The Hartford Geriatrics Leadership Scholars Program is an intensive training program for newly appointed directors of geriatric academic programs. Five or Six program directors will be selected as scholars this year. The specific goal of the Hartford Geriatrics Leadership Scholars Program is to develop the leadership/management skills of new geriatrics directors. Apply to be a Leadership Scholar.
The Hartford Senior Geriatrics Leadership Scholars Program is a program designed for five or six accomplished leaders in academic geriatrics who seek further opportunities to shape the future of medicine and enhance the health of the aging population. These leaders are poised to assume leadership positions that may be beyond geriatrics, either within academia or outside academic medicine. The targeted development of these leaders is critical to the field. Apply to be a Senior Leadership Scholar.
Applications for both programs are due on June 1, 2008. If you have any questions or would like to meet with one of the Project Directors or a past Leadership Scholar during the AGS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, contact Marianna Racz.
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Call for Nominations for Gerontological Society of America's Joseph T. Freeman Award (Deadline: June 2, 2008)
The Gerontological Society of America is seeking nominations for its Joseph T. Freeman Award.
The award, which includes a $250 prize, was established in 1977 through a bequest from a patient's estate. It was created as a tribute to Dr. Joseph T. Freeman, a leading physician and one of the Society's distinguished members and past president. Given for lectureship in geriatrics, the award goes to a prominent physician in the field of aging--both in research and practice--who is a member of the GSA's Health Sciences Section. The Freeman Lecture is one of the highlights of the Society's Annual Scientific Meeting.
When nominating a candidate, please include a completed nomination form, a current curriculum vitae and a statement regarding the nominee's contributions to the field of aging. Nominations for the Joseph T. Freeman award can be received no later than 5 PM (EDT) June 2, 2008. Nominations should be submitted to:
| Awards Coordinator |
| E-mail: |
awards@geron.org (Preferred) |
| Phone: |
202.587.5884 |
| Mail: |
The Gerontological Society of America
1220 L St., NW, Suite 901
Washington, DC 20005
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| Fax: |
202.587.5885 |
Click here for a complete list of past awardees.
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Apply Now to Attend 5th Annual AGS/NIA/Hartford Bedside-to-Bench Conference: "Idiopathic Fatigue of Aging"
Applications to attend "Idiopathic Fatigue of Aging" -- the fifth Bedside-to-Bench research conference sponsored by the American Geriatrics Society, the National Institute on Aging (NIH), and the John A Hartford Foundation -- are now being accepted.
Four earlier Bedside-To-Bench conferences were held from 2004 through 2007. In 2006, NIA renewed funding for a second series of three conferences. The first of this series, "Thinking, Moving and Feeling," was held in September 2007 in Bethesda, MD.
Idiopathic Fatigue of Aging is slated for September 3-5, 2008 at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center in Bethesda, MD. To promote interaction and small group work, participation in the conference is limited. Up to 25 applicants will be invited to participate at their own cost. In addition, postdoctoral trainees and junior faculty are eligible to apply for 10 available travel grants, which will cover conference registration, hotel accommodations, and up to $550 in travel costs.
Applications, application guidelines and additional program information have been posted on the AGS Web site. Applications are due by August 1, 2007.
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