2017 Press Releases

Newest proposal in a line of legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act will harm access to key health services for older Americans, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, statement from AGS

New York (June 22, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) opposes the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA). Released today, the Senate proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mirrors many provisions of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill which narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 4 despite serious concerns voiced by the AGS and many other stakeholders. Like the AHCA, the new Senate proposal would drastically cut Medicaid funding—an important source of support for most vulnerable citizens, particularly older Americans who rely on this program for long-term care services and supports.

As an advocate for older Americans and the health professionals who serve them, the AGS is deeply concerned that the Senate will be voting on a legislative proposal that has had no Committee hearings and has not been open to the public or stakeholder organizations for review and comment.

Newest proposal in a line of legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act will harm access to key health services for older Americans, families, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, statement from AGS

June 22, 2017 (New York)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) opposes the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA). Released today, the Senate proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mirrors many provisions of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), a bill which narrowly passed the U.S. House of Representatives on May 4 despite serious concerns voiced by the AGS and many other stakeholders. Like the AHCA, the new Senate proposal would drastically cut Medicaid funding—an important source of support for most vulnerable citizens, particularly older Americans who rely on this program for long-term care services and supports.

As an advocate for older Americans and the health professionals who serve them, the AGS is deeply concerned that the Senate will be voting on a legislative proposal that has had no Committee hearings and has not been open to the public or stakeholder organizations for review and comment.

June 20, 2017 (New York)—Though it is one of the most frequently used health indicators as more and more of us age, frailty—the medical term for increased vulnerability to declines in health or a loss of independence—remains under-studied and under-utilized, so say researchers reporting on a prestigious conference hosted by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA), with support from the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) and The John A. Hartford Foundation. Conference findings, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, are poised to advance not only a consensus definition for frailty but also our understanding of its biology, assessment, and role in improving care across several specialties, from cardiology and geriatrics to behavioral and social sciences.

Convened in 2015 for recipients of the NIA’s Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists Transition into Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) program, the NIA “U13” conference brought together more than 75 scholars, researchers, leaders in the fields of aging and frailty, and NIA representatives to present and further stimulate research on frailty, particularly across the array of disciplines involved in the high-quality, person-centered care we all will need as we age.

New York (June 2, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) has honored 18 leading healthcare 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.

“AGS Fellows join some of the foremost professionals in our field,” noted Debra Saliba, MD, MPH, AGSF, President of the AGS, in recognizing the new AGS Fellows at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS17; May 18-20 in San Antonio, Texas). “We are celebrating their accomplishments not only as individuals but also as members of the larger geriatrics community represented by the AGS.”

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:

New York (May 23, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) voiced deep concern for proposed cuts to geriatrics health professions programs (which would be eliminated), healthcare research, Medicaid, and a range of services benefitting us all as we age—all cuts outlined by President Trump in his full budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018, which begins on October 1, 2017.

Released today in follow-up to the President’s “skinny budget” blueprint, which also saw serious opposition from the AGS and geriatrics leaders when unveiled earlier this year, today’s more extensive budget recommendation poses serious challenges for older adult well-being:

San Antonio, Texas (May 18, 2017)—As the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today celebrates its 75 year history improving care for older adults, Past AGS President and veteran geriatrics researcher James T. Pacala, MD, MS, AGSF, will highlight where geriatrics has been and where it has yet to go in a special 75th Anniversary Lecture at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place this week in San Antonio, Texas. Delivered from 11am to 12pm CT at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, Dr. Pacala’s presentation will address past advances in the care of older adults that have contributed significantly to our increased longevity as a nation.

Professor and Associated Head, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Pacala has performed research and published extensively on models of care for older adults and on innovative teaching methods for training future healthcare professionals. Dr. Pacala is a Past President and Board Chair of the AGS, and has co-authored several of the Society’s most influential texts—most notably early editions of its annual reference handbook, Geriatrics At Your Fingertips. What brings Dr. Pacala to the #AGS17 podium today, however, is his prowess as an AGS and geriatrics historian.

New York (May 15, 2017)—The Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs (ADGAP) this week welcomed its newest President, Susan Parks, MD, at a meeting of the organization coinciding with the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting in San Antonio, Texas (May 18-20). Associate Professor and Director, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care, at Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia, Dr. Parks will now lead one of the nation’s only organizations committed to advancing academic geriatrics programs promoting older adult care, research on aging, and geriatrics education at accredited medical schools across the U.S.

“Dr. Parks has long been recognized as an innovative leader in geriatrics education,” observed Sharon Brangman, MD, AGSF, incoming ADGAP Board Chair and Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Division Chief, Geriatrics, University Geriatrics, and the Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease at Upstate University Hospital in New York. “Dr. Parks’s approach to geriatrics education has been a model for fellow educators, and now she will help ADGAP model the way toward a future when more students embrace geriatrics as a rewarding and much-needed vocation in health care.” 

Honoring the AGS’s 75-year legacy serving older adults, incoming AGS President Dr. Debra Saliba has vowed to champion collaboration, clinical excellence, and crafting high-quality care for us all as we age.

• Dr. Debra Saliba—#geriatrics clinician, researcher—to open one of #geriatrics’ largest research conferences: #AGS17 (5/18-5/20) http://ow.ly/EVQ130bFSYA

San Antonio, Texas (May 15, 2017)—As more than 2,500 geriatrics experts converge on San Antonio, Texas, for the 2017 American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS17), the AGS’s 75-year legacy in research, clinical practice, and public policy will be reflected in the expertise of its newest president: Debra Saliba, MD, MPH, AGSF, a seasoned geriatrician and recognized health services researcher. An AGS member since 1994 and an AGS Board representative since 2010, Dr. Saliba will begin her tenure as AGS President outlining a sustained commitment to an age-integrated society as she opens #AGS17, which begins May 18.

New York (May 11, 2017)—As part of their shared commitment to bringing the knowledge and expertise of geriatrics to fellow healthcare professionals and the public, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the AGS Health in Aging Foundation this week congratulated two distinguished scholars who are the first recipients of the Thomas and Catherine Yoshikawa Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement in Clinical Investigation and the Jeffrey H. Silverstein Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in the Surgical and Related Medical Specialties. The awards will be presented to Sei Lee, MD, MAS, a geriatrician, and Anne M. Suskind, MD, MS, a urologist, respectively, at the AGS 2017 Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS17) in San Antonio, Texas, May 18-20.

New York (May 4, 2017)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) remains opposed to the amended American Health Care Act (AHCA) that today passed the U.S. House of Representatives despite serious concerns from geriatrics experts and a host of other stakeholders across health care. This legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would harm access to key health services for older adults, caregivers, and healthcare professionals—which is why the AGS now urges the U.S. Senate to oppose the bill in its current form. 

“The present proposal would still increase costs, reduce coverage, and cut benefits, putting health, independence, and quality of life at risk for all of us as we age,” reiterated Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA, Chief Executive Officer of the AGS. “We are committed to working with Congress and the Trump Administration on meaningful reforms, but we continue to oppose changes that might jeopardize access to high-quality, person-centered, and affordable health coverage for all older Americans.” 

The AGS has previously voiced opposition to several iterations of the AHCA. AGS experts noted that any health reform legislation would need to: