Dr. William Hazzard, a founding father of #geriatrics, honored with @AmerGeriatrics Nascher/Manning Award at #AGS16
New York (April 5, 2016)—William Hazzard, MD, AGSF, a founding father of geriatric medicine in the U.S., will be honored this year with the prestigious Nascher/Manning Award given biannually by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) at its Annual Scientific Meeting (held this year May 19-21 in Long Beach, Calif.). A Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Dr. Hazzard was among the first U.S. physicians to transition to geriatrics from another medical specialty. Since that time, he has helped establish three premier geriatrics programs across the country and advocated for public and private funding that now forms the bedrock of geriatrics training and research.
“The growth—but also the increasing importance—of geriatrics since the AGS was founded in 1942 is a testament to the pioneering spirit of clinicians and academic leaders like Dr. Hazzard,” notes AGS President Steven R. Counsell, MD, AGSF. “Dr. Hazzard was a voice for this new specialty in its infancy, and he remains an ardent champion for its current and future potential as someone who not only mentored the AGS but also countless researchers, healthcare professionals, and advocates across eldercare.”
An internist and endocrinologist first trained at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle, Dr. Hazzard developed an early and life-long fascination with the effects of gender and age on health and well-being. Mentored by fellow geriatrics pioneers like Sir Paul B. Beeson, MD—a former editor of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and chair of the first Institute of Medicine study on aging and medical education—Dr. Hazzard spent a sabbatical year learning geriatrics in the United Kingdom before returning to the UW School of Medicine to develop its academic program in gerontology and geriatric medicine spanning research, education, and practice.
Dr. Hazzard went on to launch academic geriatric programs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Wake Forest School of Medicine, among many other roles spanning his more than 40-year career. At Wake Forest in particular, Dr. Hazzard successfully embedded geriatrics throughout the medical school such that funded investigators in aging have been represented in every department and subspecialty division across the institution.
An AGS member since 1980, Dr. Hazzard’s leadership extends to his role within the Society and several other influential policy and research-based organizations. He is a former AGS President and Board Chair, and has relentlessly supported recruiting and retaining more geriatrics experts through awards that include the John A. Hartford Center of Excellence Faculty Scholars program, the T. Franklin Williams Scholars and Dennis W. Jahnigen Scholars programs, and the Paul B. Beeson Scholar Awards in Aging.
The Nascher/Manning Award is named for a geriatrics pioneer who helped build the foundation for what would become the AGS. Ignatz Leo Nascher, MD, was the first clinician to advocate for establishing a specialty focused on the care of older adults. His namesake award is one of several honors conferred by the AGS at its Annual Scientific Meeting. The 2016 award recipients include more than 15 healthcare leaders representing the depth and breadth of disciplines championing eldercare.
About the American Geriatrics Society
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals dedicated to improving 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.
About the Nascher/Manning Award
Ignatz Leo Nascher, MD, argued that medical care for older adults should be considered a separate specialty, for which he coined the term “geriatrics” in 1909. Through the generosity of the Manning family, the intent of the Nascher/Manning Award is to honor Dr. Nascher’s pioneering work in the field by recognizing an individual with distinguished, life-long achievement in clinical geriatrics.
About the AGS Annual Scientific Meeting
The AGS Annual Scientific Meeting is the premier educational event in geriatrics, providing the latest information on clinical care, research on aging, and innovative models of care delivery. More than 2,000 physicians, nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, social workers, long-term care and managed care providers, healthcare administrators, and others will convene May 19-21, 2016 (pre-conference program on May 18), at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in Long Beach, Calif., to advance geriatrics knowledge and skills through state-of-the-art educational sessions and research presentations.