Week In Review

We're already looking ahead to building the program for #AGS22...and the AGS Annual Scientific Meeting Program Committee needs your help! We're accepting program proposals through Wed., June 30 for #AGS22, which will be held May 12-14 in Orlando, FL. Get all of the information you need about submitting here, and visit the online submission site here.

Looking for another way to help shape the agenda at #AGS22? Sign up to review proposal submissions! The Program Committee is seeking diverse reviewers with a variety of perspectives to bring their expertise to the proposal review process. If selected, you can expect to review and provide feedback on approximately 20 proposals between July 5 and July 23. Learn more and apply here.

• AGS Submits Written Testimony for FY 2022 Department of Veterans Affairs Budget
  Last week, the AGS submitted written testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies requesting increased funding for the Medical and Prosthetic Research Program and the physical and information technology (IT) infrastructure within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In our testimony, we emphasized that sustained and enhanced federal investment in VA research and its facilities and IT infrastructure is essential to delivering high-quality, coordinated, and efficient care to our nation’s population of older Veterans.
   
• CMS Bolsters Payments for At-Home COVID-19 Vaccinations
  This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an additional payment amount for administering in-home COVID-19 vaccinations to Medicare beneficiaries who have difficulty leaving their homes or are otherwise hard-to-reach. Effective June 8, 2021, Medicare is now paying an additional $35 per dose for in-home COVID-19 vaccine administration, for a total payment of approximately $75 for a single-dose vaccine or $150 for both doses of a two-dose vaccine. The additional payment amount accounts for the clinical time needed to monitor a beneficiary after vaccine administration, as well as the upfront costs associated with administering the vaccine safely and appropriately in a beneficiary’s home. The payment rate for vaccine administration and in-home payment amount will be geographically adjusted based on where the service is furnished. Read CDC’s guidance to assist vaccinators overcome challenges, such as ensuring appropriate vaccine storage temperatures, handling, and administration. Learn more about Medicare payment for COVID-19 vaccine administration here. Learn more about the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Requirements here.

AGS Fellow Status (AGSF) is awarded to AGS members who have demonstrated a professional commitment to geriatrics, contributed to the progress of geriatrics care, and are active participants in the Society's activities. AGS Fellows join a specially recognized group of healthcare providers who are dedicated to geriatrics education, clinical care, and research, as well as to their own continuing professional development. Fellows have distinguished themselves among their colleagues, as well as in their communities and in the Society by their service. 

Does this sound like you? Apply for AGS Fellowship today! You are eligible to apply if you are currently an active member of the AGS and have been for at least five consecutive years, have attended at least three AGS Annual Meetings, and accrue at least 30 points on the application. The next application deadline is Tues., June 15th. Learn more and apply here.

The AGS Health in Aging Foundation has just released a new public education video addressing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The video, featuring Alicia Arbaje, MD, MPH; Sharon Brangman, MD, AGSF; and Jerry Johnson, MD, AGSF, addresses the importance of vaccination, vaccine effectiveness and safety. Visit Healthinaging.org to view the video along with other public education resources on COVID-19 and the COVID-19 vaccines.

The AGS is collecting demographic information so that we can better understand the diversity of our own membership. Having a better understanding of the demographic make-up of our members—as well as your practice settings, discipline, and training—will help us to ensure that our leadership reflects the diversity of geriatrics health professionals and will inform how we focus our efforts to advocate for programs and policies that support all of us as we age.

All AGS members received an email on Tues., May 25 with a link to complete the AGS Census. We hope you will take just a minute to complete this quick survey. The information you provide will remain confidential. The deadline for the survey has been extended and it will close on Fri., June 18. All respondents will be entered into a drawing for one of the following prizes:

• One free year of AGS membership
• A full site license to GeriatricsCareOnline.org for one year
• A free GRS11 Complete Edition (to be released in 2022)

If you did not receive the AGS Census email with your individualized link, please send an email to membership@americangeriatrics.org so that we can re-send your survey.

We are excited to announce that "Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease"—the third in a three-part series of U13 Bench-to-Bedside Conferences—will be held October 18-19, 2021 in Washington, DC. Sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the conference will provide attendees with opportunities to learn about cutting-edge research, participate in creating recommendations for future research, and network with colleagues and leaders in the field. Click HERE for the preliminary conference agenda, and be sure to submit your application by Mon., June 14. Learn more here.

• We congratulate Colleen Christmas, MD, who was named the inagural recipient of the Rosemarie Hope Reid, MD Endowed Professorship to support the Director of the Primary Care Leadership Track at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

• June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Created by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (#WEAAD) occurs every June 15th to provide an opportunity for communities to educate their members about elder abuse and neglect. Visit the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day website for tools and tips, social media resources, and other ways you can take action to promote #WEAAD.
   
• Clin-STAR Missing Data Webinar Series. The Clinician-Scientists Transdisciplinary Aging Research Coordinating Center (Clin-STAR CC) has announced a two-part webinar series focused on missing data in aging research. Part 1, "Ounce of Prevention: Strategies to Prevent Missing Data in Primary Data Collection," will take place on Tues., June 29, 2:00-3:00pm ET. Part 2, "Pound of Cure: Understanding and Incorporating Missing Data into Biostatistical Analysis," will take place on Tues., July 13, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET. Learn more and register here.
   
• Serving LGBTQ Older Adults: Innovative Approaches to Help LGBTQ Older Adults Engage. In honor of Pride Month, join enGAGED for this webinar focused on social engagement among LGBTQ older adults. The webinar will highlight SAGE's efforts to addres social isolation in LGBTQ communities, as well as examples of programs that offer services to LGBTQ older adults. Tues., June 22, 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET. Learn more and register here.
   
• Elder Abuse in People Living with Dementia: Considerations for Prevention, Detection and Intervention. Held by the National Alzheimer's and Dementia Resource Center (NADRC) and sponsored by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), this webinar with complimentary CE credit will help you learn to detect elder abuse and equip you with resources for intervention. AGS member and National Center on Elder Abuse Director Laura Mosqueda, MD, will be presenting. Wed., June 23, 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. Learn more and register here.