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7/18/2025
As we posted in MyAGSOnline, a huge thanks to our AGS members who have been reaching out to their congressional delegations about reauthorization and appropriations for the Title VII Geriatrics Health Professions Programs. As we reported in our July 16 issue of Last Week in Washington (LWiW), members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee asked questions about these programs (watch the video here) where testimony was heard from Candice Chen, MD, MPH, a career official and Acting Associate Administrator for Health Workforce, at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The hearing was focused on several pending reauthorization bills for various public health programs, including the geriatrics education programs. Because the President’s budget zeros out the geriatrics programs, Dr. Chen did not cover the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Programs (GWEPs) and Geriatrics Academic Career Awards (GACAs) in her testimony. Thanks to your efforts focused on educating your members about these crucial programs, Reps. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Tom Kean (R-NJ), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) asked well-informed follow-up questions. In our review of the Q&A, what is amazing here is that of all the programs under consideration (there were 10 sizable bills being considered, including Title VII and Title VIII reauthorizations, children’s health), and the fact that subcommittee members often will use their time to highlight bills and issues where they are closely engaged, these four subcommittee members prioritized the GWEPs and GACAs. Their questions to Dr. Chen led to her enthusiastic support regarding the importance and effectiveness of these programs – especially critical considering the President’s budget request eliminates the programs. Having members of Congress publicly express bipartisan support for GWEPs and GACAs is critical to reauthorization of the programs. We thank YOU again for your support and advocacy.
As the annual congressional process for fiscal year (FY) 2026 is underway, AGS sent letters to House and Senate Appropriations leadership outlining our support for increased funding for the geriatrics workforce training programs, the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) and the Geriatrics Academic Career Award (GACA) Program, and aging research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) as well as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We continue to advocate in support of these programs, emphasizing the geriatrics expertise we need in the health workforce and the importance of ensuring that federal investments in research continue to support improving health and well-being for all of us as we age. Visit our Health in Aging Advocacy Center to join us in urging Congress to protect its investments in FY 2026 for GWEPs and GACAs and aging research at NIH and NIA and the VA.
AGS submitted comments to NIH in response to its request for information (RFI) on an artificial intelligence (AI) strategy which will be developed for an institute-wide AI structure that builds synergy across programs, improves transparency, and accelerates research and development of AI for the benefit of patients. As part of our response, we highlighted preparing a dual-capacity workforce of clinicians and data scientists who can act on AI outputs and understand geriatrics care principles. We also recommended establishing aging-specific governance models and building frameworks for equitable AI performance across diverse older populations, among other items.
We are moving to bi-weekly issues of Last Week in Washington: News of Interest to AGS members for the rest of the summer. We wish that we could say that this is solely due to it being summertime and the living is easy but the AGS Policy team will be hard at work on regulatory and legislative comments through the end of September. Please be on the look out for our policy updates in our weekly list serv -- AGS Week in Review. If you clicked through on the link, you know that the great Janis Joplin took on George Gershwin’s Summertime (composed for Porgy and Bess) back in 1969. Interested in more versions of Summertime, CMuse has you covered. As always, thanks for all your do on behalf of older adults – The AGS Public Policy Team.
New Case Studies Now Available!
Read about how AGS CoCare®: HELP Centers of Excellence, Allegheny Health Network and California Pacific Medical Center, each used the AGS CoCare®: HELP program to help attain Level 2 (Committed to Care Excellence) Age-Friendly Recognition at their hospital.
The AGS CoCare®: HELP program is closely aligned with the 4Ms of Age Friendly care and can help serve as a pathway for hospitals to achieve Age-Friendly® Health System status as well as meet the requirements of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) new Age-Friendly Hospital Measure. Visit help.agscocare.org for more information and free resources.
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. Their dedication and longstanding commitment to AGS is recognized by this mark of distinction. Learn more at https://bit.ly/AGS-Fellowship and apply by November 15th to be included in AGS’s next cohort of fellows!
The AGS empowers local collaboration through its network of State Affiliates—launched in 1991 to boost education, networking, and advocacy in geriatrics at the state level. Be sure to check if there is an AGS affiliate in your state. Visit our AGS State Affiliates page, select your state or metro area, and find contact information, upcoming events, and join-now links.
AGS member Snigdha Jain has just been named a 2025 Scholar in Diagnostic Excellence by the National Academy of Medicine. Dr. Jain is an assistant professor in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine and her work has received numerous awards and accolades including the AGS’s Health in Aging Foundation New Investigator Award in 2024. She also serves as the Vice Chair of the AGS Junior Faculty Research and Development Special Interest Group. Learn more about Dr. Jain and her work in this article published in The American Bazaar.
AGS member Anna Chang, MD will be honored at the upcoming San Francisco Veteran’s Affairs Director’s Quarterly Awards Ceremony for two decades of dedicated service. Dr. Chang’s years of service as an educator and mentor are exemplified by her founding and director role of the AGS/Tideswell Emerging Leaders in Aging Program and her advocacy and creation of a new mentoring program for clinician researchers at UCSF. She is also co-editor of the textbook Current Diagnosis and Treatment in Geriatrics. Find the announcement here.
- The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will release its next Broad Pragmatic Studies funding opportunity on August 12, 2025, to support patient-centered research comparing effective interventions. Special focus areas include menopausal symptoms, maternal sleep health, and Alzheimer’s-related mental health.
- The Clin-STAR Visiting Professor Program is designed to expose clinician-scientists and other faculty and trainees, especially those at institutions lacking robust aging/geriatrics research programs, to leaders in aging research.
The MyAGSOnline Events Calendar is a valuable resource to discover and register for upcoming events, webinars, and other opportunities. Some upcoming opportunities we'd like to highlight include:
- Geriatric Oncology: Cognition and Communication 2025 will be taking place on September 18th and 19th. This complimentary two-day virtual workshop is designed to address the nuanced communication challenges facing clinicians caring for older adults with cancer.
Join the American Junior Investigator Association (AJIA) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) on September 9th for a workshop addressing the challenges physician-scientists face in their career path. This event will bring together leaders across sectors to explore innovative, collaborative solutions to support and sustain this vital part of the biomedical workforce.
- The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) will release its next Broad Pragmatic Studies funding opportunity on August 12, 2025, to support patient-centered research comparing effective interventions. Special focus areas include menopausal symptoms, maternal sleep health, and Alzheimer’s-related mental health.