Week In Review

Have you ever attended an AGS pre-conference? If you can't get enough of our Annual Scientific Meeting, jump in a day early and join us in Long Beach, CA, on Wed., May 6 for a full day of learning, networking, and fun!

Attend a pre-conference during the day, swing by a Special Interest Group meeting after dinner, then join us for the Opening Reception at 7pm! Get the full pre-conference schedule here, and check out some sessions below:

• Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP): Supported by a grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation, this pre-conference is a must-see for HRSA GWEP awardees.
• Hospital Elder Life Program (HELP): Designed to empower HELP teams to strategize delirium prevention, this full-day course will provide you with the tools and resources you need to assess risk, identify better detection and prevention strategies, and reduce delirium in your care facility.
• Fellowship Directors Pre-Conference: Sponsored by the Association of Directors of Geriatrics Academic Programs (ADGAP), this half-day session presents practical instruction for both new and seasoned fellowship directors.
• ADGAP Leadership Session: Following the Fellowship Directors Pre-Conference, this interactive session will give you the opportunity to learn effective leadership and communication skills and put them into practice.
• First Annual Meeting of the U.S. Deprescribing Research Network: You read that right: The very first. Don't miss the inaugural meeting of USDeN, one of the newer coalitions in our geriatrics community created exclusively to address one of the biggest issues of our time: medication overuse among older adults.
• Buprenorphine Waiver Training for Clinicians: Sponsored by the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use (ATOD) Among Older Adults Special Interest Group, this training and subsequent exam will give you eligibility to apply for the waiver to prescribe buprenorphine in the U.S. under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000).
• Geriatric Medicine Board Review: This interactive pre-conference will not only provide an overview of evidence-based geriatric medicine to prepare you for recertification, but also get you a discounted copy of the digital edition of our highly acclaimed Geriatrics Review Syllabus (GRS).

Register today to learn from the experts on these topics and more!

Experts at the AGS raised grave concerns with President Trump's 2021 budget proposal, which remains "deeply troubling for older Americans, families, and health professionals." In comments shared on the AGS site, the AGS warned that the proposal would eliminate training programs, reduce funding for health research, and jeopardize coverage and services for older Americans if adopted as written.

"Even though this proposal is just a 'wish list' for now, it sends a troubling message," said Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, Chief Executive Officer of the AGS. "That's why we're urging everyone to let the White House and Congress know that cutting support for older adults now cuts care for us all as we age." Learn more.

• From McKnight's Long-Term Care News: While Coronavirus Gets the Attention, the Flu Quietly Goes on a Killing Spree
• From STAT: How the Psychology of a $4.99 Price Tag Might Influence Who Undergoes Heart Surgery

The geriatrics community of today and tomorrow owes much to the legacy of health professionals who helped shape the Society (and care) we all now share. We appreciate your taking the time to let us know about colleagues who deserve our recognition at #AGS20 for their contributions to high-quality, person-centered care.

It's your society...your voice matters! Cast your vote in the AGS Leadership Election before polls close on Sat., Feb. 29. If you didn't receive your electronic ballot (sent by email on Fri., Feb. 1), please contact Mary Jordan Samuel at mjsamuel@americangeriatrics.org.

• The Health and Medical Dimensions of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults. On Thurs., Feb. 27, from 11am-12pm ET, join the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) for a webinar releasing a new report on the health impacts of social isolation and loneliness among older adults. Register here.

• At a meeting to discuss its annual report, the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee—which offers recommendations to Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology—named price transparency and third-party data access as two of its 31 priorities for the next two years. The report recommended a workgroup study how third-party groups not subject to medical data privacy rules handle health data as HHS moves to allow patients and providers to share medical information via apps.
• The National Alzheimer's and Dementia Resource Center (NADRC) has compiled a list of resources produced by Administration on Aging grantees.