The American Geriatrics Society - News - Geriatric Medicine Is Given A Voice at the American Board of Internal Medicine

For Immediate Release
June 24, 2003

For Further Information
Pamela Ingham
(212) 308-1414, ext. 302
Scott Kramer
(212) 308-1414, ext. 329

Geriatric Medicine Is Given A Voice at the
American Board of Internal Medicine

New York, NY- The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is pleased to announce that as of July 1, Geriatric Medicine will be represented on the board of directors of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). AGS board member David Reuben, MD will represent geriatrics, the specialty devoted to the health care of older adults.

"Gaining a voice on a such prestigious board is a great step forward for the specialty of Geriatrics," said AGS President Richard Besdine, MD, FACP, AGSF. "The ABIM sets the standards of excellence in the practice of medicine, and it's important for those who care for our nation's aging population to have a voice in decisions affecting the quality of healthcare in the U.S."

Dr. Reuben is the director of the Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, chief of the geriatrics division, and co-director of the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He has worked with the ABIM since 1996 writing questions for the exam internists and family physicians must pass in order to receive a certificate of added qualifications in Geriatric Medicine.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Reuben said, "The graying of the population will mean that care of older persons will become an increasingly important component of virtually every internist's practice. The addition of a geriatrician to the Board is a major step in the effort to ensure that all internists provide the highest quality care for every older person."

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people. The society supports this mission through activities in: clinical practice; professional education on the clinical care of older people; research; public education and information; public policy efforts; and through collaborative relationships with other organizations. For more information about AGS programs and initiatives, visit the AGS Web site at www.americangeriatrics.org.