News/Press Releases

• #Geriatrics experts on achieving #gender #equity in health care: “When #women rise, we all rise.” Learn more in new @AGSJournal position statement from @AmerGeriatrics https://bit.ly/WhenWomenRise

New York (Oct. 1, 2019)—Putting power and potential behind gender equity in health care isn’t just common sense. It’s critical to the future of health, safety, and independence for us all as we age, so says the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) in a new position statement released today, International Day of Older Persons. The statement outlines strategic objectives that can help us achieve a simple truth: “When women rise, we all rise.”

“Gender discrimination isn’t just ‘wrong.’ It has real and alarmingly negative public health consequences,” said Sunny Linnebur, PharmD, FCCP, FASCP, BCPS, BCGP, president of the AGS. “At a time when more of us than ever before are poised to contribute to our communities thanks to longer lifespans, we need the whole of society—irrespective of gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation—to stand against discrimination as we stand up for women. Because when women rise, we all rise.”

• We’ve long thought cognitive decline was just “characteristic of aging,” but researchers convened by @AmerGeriatrics w/ funding from @NIH suggest there’s nothing “just characteristic” of connections between #age & #cognition http://ow.ly/KNww30ppggU #geriatrics

New York (Aug. 23, 2019)—Declining mental sharpness “just comes with age,” right? Not so fast, say geriatrics researchers and clinicians gathered at a prestigious 2018 conference hosted by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) with support from the National Institute on Aging (NIA). In a report published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS), attendees of a conference for the NIA’s Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists Transition into Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) program describe how increasing evidence shows age-related diseases—rather than age itself—may be the key cause of cognitive decline. And while old age remains a primary risk factor for cognitive impairment, researchers believe future research—and sustained funding—could illuminate more complex, nuanced connections between cognitive health, overall health, and how we approach age.

• .@AmerGeriatrics Commends Bipartisan Leaders on Bringing HR2781, Important #Geriatrics Workforce Training Legislation, Even Closer to Becoming Law http://ow.ly/vqrZ30p9OoK

New York (July 17, 2019)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) again pledged enthusiastic support for the Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and Readiness (EMPOWER) for Health Act of 2019 (H.R. 2781). H.R. 2781 took a significant step toward becoming law today following an approval of the legislation’s language by the full House Energy & Commerce Committee Wednesday evening. The measure now moves to the House floor for consideration, hopefully before Congress breaks for its summer recess in August.

Introduced by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Michael Burgess (R-TX) earlier this year, the bill reauthorizes workforce training programs under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act. Among these initiatives are the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) and the Geriatrics Academic Career Awards (GACAs), both critical to the care all Americans need as our country continues to age.

• .@AmerGeriatrics Commends Bipartisan Leaders on Bringing HR2781, Important #Geriatrics Workforce Training Legislation, That Much Closer to Becoming Law http://ow.ly/A2YA30p6LK8

New York (July 11, 2019)—As members of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce move to debate, amend, and revise a host of important health proposals, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) again pledged enthusiastic support for one of the Committee’s most important bills under consideration: The Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and Readiness (EMPOWER) for Health Act of 2019 (H.R. 2781).

Introduced by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Michael Burgess (R-TX) earlier this year, the bill reauthorizes workforce training programs under Title VII of the Public Health Service Act. Among these initiatives are the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) and the Geriatrics Academic Career Awards (GACAs), both critical to the care all Americans need as our country continues to age.

Portland, Ore. (May 2, 2019)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today honored 21 leading health professionals who joined the newest class of AGS Fellows—a select group of experts recognized for their deep commitment to the AGS and to advancing high-quality, person-centered care for us all as we age.

“All of our fellows are colleagues who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to geriatrics, have contributed to advances in care, and are active participants in AGS activities,” noted Sunny Linnebur, PharmD, BCP, BCGS, President of the AGS, in recognizing the new AGS Fellows at the AGS 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS19; May 2-4 in Portland, Ore.).

This year’s fellows hail from all four corners of the country and reflect the increasingly interprofessional nature of geriatrics as a field attracting doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physicians assistants, social workers, and many others. They include: