Week In Review

The American Geriatrics Society and the National Lipid Association have released a Joint Scientific Statement focused on managing hypercholesterolemia in adults over 75 without a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and the Journal of Clinical Lipidology, the statement provides evidence-based, pragmatic recommendations to support personalized decision-making in this growing patient population.

Writing group co-chair and AGS member Sunny Linnebur, PharmD wrote an editorial with her co-lead of the writing group about the significant importance of the work and how clinicians can use the recommendations within the paper.

Read the JAGS article here.

The press release regarding the joint statement can be found here.

Congress will be in recess during the weeks of April 13th and 20th, which means that now is the time to keep an eye out for town halls and other events hosted by your elected officials. Some may host roundtables with patients and health professionals. We encourage you to contact your local offices to ask about any events being hosted. Issue 7 of Last Week in Washington has step-by-step instructions on how to access your district offices' contact information.

This week, a US District Court in Texas struck down the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) minimum staffing mandate for nursing homes finalized during the Biden Administration. The mandate, supported by AGS and finalized in April 2024, required facilities to maintain a registered nurse (RN) on-site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, among other staffing standards. In our comment, AGS agreed with the agency’s assessment that available literature and evidence emphasizes the relationship between nursing home staffing and quality outcomes. AGS also noted that 38 states and the District of Columbia already have minimum staffing requirements. Several industry groups expressed concern that the rule was onerous and would force nursing homes to close due to already existing workforce shortages. The Administration has 60 days to appeal; however there has been no indication that the current Administration will appeal the court’s ruling. 

This week, AGS submitted written testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies requesting increased funding in fiscal year (FY) 2026 for the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) and Geriatrics Academic Career Award (GACA) Program, and aging research within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA). AGS continues our advocacy in support of these programs, emphasizing the increasing need for educational and training opportunities in geriatrics and gerontology and critical importance of continuing to invest in medical research on aging. 

The NEW Geriatric Nursing Review Syllabus, 8th Ed. (GNRS8) is now available for purchase in a convenient all-digital format.

The GNRS8 is an up-to-date and comprehensive text based on the Geriatrics Review Syllabus: A Core Curriculum in Geriatric Medicine, 12th Edition, and adapted for advanced practice geriatric nurses. Its 74 chapters cover four broad areas of geriatric nursing care: Foundations in Aging, Care Systems, Approach to the Patient, and The 5Ms of Geriatrics. The GNRS8 is an authoritative source for information on the care of older adults and an excellent teaching resource.

Use your AGS Member discount and subscribe today!! 

Institutional subscriptions are also available.

The AGS Resident Activities Subcommittee is looking for judges for the Trainee Poster Session that will be held on Friday, May 9th, 2:45-3:45 CT at the AGS Annual Scientific Meeting in Chicago, IL.

As in the past, judges will be paired in groups and will be able to ask residents follow-up questions about their presentations to help with scoring. Judges can expect an assignment of about 4-5 posters during the poster session.

If you are attending #AGS25 and interested in being a poster judge, please email Ashley Evans at aevans@americangeriatrics.org with your name, preferred email, title, and institution name by Friday, April 18th. 

We're so grateful to our volunteers who make this session possible! 

With the AGS 2025 Annual Meeting less than a month away, we wanted to share a sneak peek of another highly anticipated session happening at #AGS25: 

• Tackling Osteoporosis Treatment in Primary Care (5/9; 1:30pm - 2:30pm CT)

Participants will determine who to screen, how to interpret DXA/TBS, and the new “osteoporosis” definition including those with high FRAX and T score -1 to -2.4; (review newer treatment options and when to consider them; and discuss long-term osteoporosis treatment planning in primary care.

Learn more about #AGS25 and register today!  

Remember, you can save up to $100 on your registration if you register by April 21st.

Mandi Sehgal, MD was recently named the Vice Chief of Education for Cleveland Clinic's Florida Market. In this role, Dr. Sehgal will oversee all of the educational offerings the Clinic offers in Florida, including Graduate Medical Education as the Associate Designated Institutional Official. 

Congratulations Mandi!

The AGS Opportunities for Investigators resource serves as a central location for geriatrics and aging-related opportunities such as grant funding, presentation or publication submissions, travel stipends for scholarly meetings, networking events, comment periods, and in-person or virtual meetings and webinars. Some upcoming opportunities we'd like to highlight include:

• The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute invites applications for high-quality comparative clinical effectiveness research projects with letter of intents accepted through May 13th. 

• The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute is accepting letters of intent through May 13th for high-quality, patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research projects that addresses intentional trauma, unintentional trauma, or Substance Use and Trauma. 

The MyAGSOnline Events Calendar is a valuable resource to discover and register for upcoming events, webinars, and other opportunities. We'd like to highlight the following upcoming event: 

• The Hospital at Home Users Group, in partnership with the American Academy of Home Care Medicine, will be hosting their latest webinar, "At Home, In Motion: Innovations in Hospital at Home Physical and Occupational Therapy" on Tuesday, April 22nd. 

Have an opportunity or event you'd like to see listed? Email the details to Jennifer Fisher at jfisher@americangeriatrics.org