New York (May 6, 2020)—Annette (Annie) Medina-Walpole, MD, AGSF, has a simple message for colleagues, caregivers and older adults, but one she hopes hits home: “We’re with you—because building momentum for aging today, troubled as today may seem, will build momentum for a better tomorrow.”
Dr. Medina-Walpole’s “today” is certainly unprecedented. She not only assumes responsibilities as the newest president of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) but also does so as shifting demographics and a global pandemic bring urgent attention to her expertise and that of her more than 7,000 AGS colleagues.
These are extraordinary times, but Dr. Medina-Walpole is no ordinary leader. She’s a geriatrics health professional—a pioneer in advanced-illness care for older individuals, with a focus on championing interprofessional teams, eliciting personal care goals, and treating older people as whole persons. And she believes that expertise will be key, not only to combatting COVID-19 but also to ensuring health, safety, and independence for us all as we age. Her AGS colleagues believe so, too, and now will work with her and other AGS leaders to ensure that vision remains an actionable priority.
“I’ve never been prouder to be a geriatrician and part of such an amazing professional society,” notes Dr. Medina-Walpole. “Though this has been a time for reflection and resilience, it’s also been one for tremendous growth. I’m inspired by my colleagues, older adults, and caregivers, who are rising to the challenge in all settings and health systems.”
The Paul H. Fine Professor of Medicine and Chief, Division of Geriatrics & Aging at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Dr. Medina-Walpole is no stranger to that momentum. Her drive on the work of the AGS has perhaps only been matched by influence at the University of Rochester—and across geriatrics education. Since joining the faculty in 1998, Dr. Medina-Walpole has fast become the leader of a highly ambitious program to integrate geriatrics into the whole of the university’s undergraduate medical curriculum. Through her efforts, aging became one of six underlying themes for the entire medical student community, and training of hospitalists and subspecialists in geriatrics has flourished.
Dr. Medina-Walpole also developed a Skills in Complete Patient Evaluation course to engage medical students in understanding the importance of patient history and physical examination, including for older adults residing in nursing homes. Dr. Medina-Walpole also served as the University of Rochester Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Director and co-directed the Dean’s Teaching Fellowship, which trains faculty as master educators. Dr. Medina-Walpole was recently named as the inaugural Director of the University of Rochester Aging Institute, which is poised to have a major impact across the institution’s spectrum of aging research, geriatrics education, clinical care, and community collaboration.
An AGS member since 1995, Dr. Medina-Walpole remains a frequent reviewer for the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) and chaired the 2008 AGS Annual Scientific Meeting Program Committee and the Teacher’s Section. She was co-editor of the Geriatrics Review Syllabus, a premier reference guide for clinicians engaged in continuing education. Yet Dr. Medina-Walpole is perhaps best known as a mentor, educator, and esteemed clinician for the many emerging health professionals who have benefitted from her guidance—and who now benefit from her leadership at the AGS.
“It’s my pleasure to pass the baton to such a caring, brilliant, and dedicated person. In the nursing home, the classroom, and the community, Dr. Medina-Walpole has innovated geriatrics practice and professional education,” notes Sunny Linnebur, PharmD, FCCP, FASCP, BCPS, BCGP, outgoing president of the AGS. “Our vision for tomorrow will become a reality first and foremost because AGS leaders like Dr. Medina-Walpole are stepping up to model the way.”
As outgoing AGS president, Dr. Linnebur becomes Chair of the AGS Board of Directors when Dr. Medina-Walpole assumes her new post today. In addition to a year-long tenure as AGS President—during which the Society celebrated renewed federal support for geriatrics training and the launch of several programs aimed at inter-professional collaboration—Dr. Linnebur brings to the AGS Board decades of experience as a clinician, educator, and advocate.
The slate of Board Officers who will join Dr. Medina-Walpole and Dr. Linnebur on the AGS Executive Committee include Mark Supiano, MD, AGSF, as Board Treasurer; G. Michael Harper, MD, AGSF, as Board Secretary; and Peter Hollmann, MD, AGSF, as AGS President-Elect.
About the American Geriatrics Society
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals that has—for more than 75 years—worked to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of older people. Its nearly 6,000 members include geriatricians, geriatric nurses, social workers, family practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and internists. The Society provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy. For more information, visit AmericanGeriatrics.org.