I believe it was Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher who said, “the only constant in life is change.” How true that is. Over the past few years, we have seen how our professions, education, and lifestyles have changed because of world events. At times, it can feel like I’m juggling so much change that everything begins to feel a bit impermanent. That’s one of the things that I’ve appreciated about the viewpoint AGS has when it comes to embracing change and innovation.
As an example, since I joined the AGS, there has always been a Geriatrics Review Syllabus (GRS) and there still is a Geriatrics Review Syllabus. What has changed is that a core text for our field which used to be available only in paper is now available in multiple formats. I can remember when Geriatrics at Your Fingertips for Palm Pilots was released (I had one!). Our AGS Annual Scientific meeting is no different – we have evolved from paper program books and JAGS abstracts supplements to an app on our phones that puts all that same information in an easily searchable database that allows us to build our own schedules. In 2021, the AGS adapted to COVID-19, when the pandemic was still making it too dangerous for us to gather in large crowds, by learning how to throw an entirely virtual meeting for the first time in AGS history. While that year’s meeting was born out of necessity, at a time when COVID-19 was at its peak and still wreaking havoc in our professional and personal lives, our community of geriatrics professionals all came together virtually to share knowledge and innovations, to talk about how we were navigating a changing workscape, and to inspire and be inspired. As an organization we learned that virtual meetings can be very effective and do have some very specific benefits. The flexibility that virtual meetings offer is a benefit according to many of our attendees who could attend more sessions overall —some even reported attending every session! Many members appreciated not having to leave their families, the lower cost of meeting attendance, and the opportunity to encourage colleagues who might not normally attend to join them.
This year, we are offering an entirely virtual meeting which puts us on the cutting edge of how professional societies are experimenting with meeting members needs, while taking into account the ways in which we can reduce our environmental footprint and also with an eye to ensuring that the AGS has the financial resources to remain the vibrant community that we have come to know and love throughout the years. This is the first virtual meeting year in a four-year pilot that will have us alternating fully virtual with face-to-face meetings. I’m excited about the content that the AGS Program Committee and AGS Research Committee have put together for #AGS24. As with the GRS and GAYF, AGS is innovating how it delivers content but the final product has the same great essence that you will not want to miss. Over the course of the meeting, we will be presenting the latest in geriatrics research, education, and clinical care with a focus on ensuring that we are providing our attendees with content that improves our collective ability to care for older adults. In addition to the great array of symposia, paper, and poster sessions (some of which I highlight below), here are just a few of my top reasons why I am excited for #AGS24 (and why you should be too!):
- #AGS24 is going to be comfy! You’ll be able to learn from the comfort of your home, office, or anywhere else you choose (that has wi-fi). If you want to learn about tele-geriatrics or pain management and opioid use disorder in older adults in your bunny slippers – you can!
- #AGS24 will be more accessible and inclusive than ever! Without the physical restriction of location, we hope to reach more people than ever before. Attendees will be able to join more sessions because of the virtual format and as usual have access to all virtual education post-meeting recordings for three months after the meeting! I have already heard from colleagues who are able to join this year due to its virtual format and closeness to other meetings. I hope you can spread the word to those who may benefit from increased accessibility or may be able to attend for the first time.
- #AGS24 will be easier on your travel budget! A virtual meeting means reduced pressure on personal or academic travel budgets. Attendees will not have to worry about travel or lodging expenses associated with in-person meetings.
- For leaders of geriatrics academic, fellowship, and research training programs, #AGS24 will allow you to support more trainees to attend our meeting. As a nurse educator, I know how hard it can be to bring trainees to a national meeting given classes, exams, and clinical rotations. Being fully virtual means that I can encourage our trainees to attend and the fact that the meeting registration is greatly reduced for all full-time students greatly helps with that. Even though we are virtual, AGS will be offering a one-on-one mentoring program through our online mentoring program and all of our usual affinity sessions for trainees.
- #AGS24 will be green! AGS has taken a series of actions to reduce its impact on the environment including going paperless with JGN and JAGS. Eliminating annual face-to-face conferences is the single most impactful step that we could take to reduce our carbon footprint. In the virtual years, our footprint for the meeting is reduced by 94%.
Like always, I am also excited for the Annual Scientific Meeting because of all of the opportunities there are to learn about emerging clinical issues, current research in geriatrics, education, health policy, and delivery of geriatric health care. This year’s program is chock-full of sessions that I am looking forward to attending, including:
Henderson Lecture: The Geriatric Surgery Verification Program: A Journey to Improve the Surgical Care of Older Adults. Ronnie A. Rosenthal, MS, MD will moderate this year’s highly anticipated Henderson lecture which will describe the efforts of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), together with the AGS and the John A. Hartford Foundation, to improve care for older adults considering and having surgery by developing a structured program and measures that address the goals and needs of each individual older adult.
Geriatrics Literature Update: 2024 Led by Alex Smith, MD, Kenneth Covinsky, MD, MPH, and Eric Widera, MD, the highly popular Geriatrics Literature Update: 2024 will offer a witty recap of the most important papers published in 2023 through musical parodies based on their summaries. Discussions will cover the significance of study findings and their application to geriatric practice.
New Era of Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis and Therapeutics Moderated by Esther S. Oh, MD, PhD & Noll L. Campbell, PharmD, MS, this session will provide health professionals with information about anti-amyloid monoclonal antibody (mab) for treatment of early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with focus on lecanemab. (Presenters will also discuss donanemab if it is FDA approved by May 2024.)
For more tips on how to make the most out of this year’s virtual meeting check out “The AGS Guide to Get the Most Out of #AGS24” on pg. 15. I am so proud to be part of an organization that has such a legacy of leading change and improving care for older adults and that continues to make decisions to ensure future generations of geriatrics professionals have not only the same opportunities, but that they have more equitable accessibility to take part in opportunities like our Annual Scientific Meeting. Serving you as the President of the AGS, working towards better care for all of us as we age, has been such an incredible experience and although I am sad to pass the torch, there is nobody more deserving than Mark Supiano to pick it up!
Mark Supiano, MD, AGSF is the Chief of the Geriatrics Division at the University of Utah, where he also serves as the Executive Director of the university’s Center on Aging. An AGS member since 1985, Dr. Supiano has held many leadership roles within the Society, including: Program Chair of the 2006 AGS Annual Scientific Meeting, Associate Editor of the JAGS Editorial Board (2000-2005), and as a Board Member of the ADGAP Board of Directors (2007-2017), ultimately serving as both its President and Board Chair. I am looking forward to seeing Mark’s demonstrated dedication to geriatrics and the AGS in action as he steps into his new role as President. Please join me in welcoming Mark!
Truly it has been an honor and a privilege to have served as your President this past year. I hope that you will join me (from wherever you may be) at #AGS24 from May 9-11 (preconference days May 7 & 8) to continue working and collaborating for a better future for geriatrics healthcare and us all.