Dr. David Solomon, right, with Corinne Rieder, the Hartford Foundation's executive director. Cory Rieder, PhD, left, with Dr. David H. Solomon. Dr. Rieder will receive the David H. Solomon Memorial Public Service Award,, named for the geriatrics pioneer who died last year.

One of the highlights of our year is the annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS). AGS is a long-time grantee and partner of ours and their yearly meeting is an opportunity for us to learn about the latest scientific advancements in geriatric care and get valuable “face-time” with our grantees and scholars.

The AGS meeting is also a time for health professionals with geriatrics expertise to acknowledge each other’s hard work and accomplishments. In addition to the highly energizing support we all receive just from being around like-minded colleagues, formal awards given by the society help to inspire and motivate all of us by spotlighting important work that is making a difference in the lives of older adults.

In advance of the meeting that starts Wednesday in Orlando, we want to acknowledge several award winners who have connections to the John A. Hartford Foundation and shine a light on their work. Most of these individuals fit our vision of who Hartford Change AGEnts should be: health professionals who are putting their geriatrics expertise to work in leading change in health care delivery.

Xin Qi Dong XinQi Dong

The award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement for Clinical Investigation goes to Paul B. Beeson Scholar and Health and Aging and Policy Fellow Xin Qi Dong, MD, MPH of Rush University. Dr. Dong has conducted important research and advocacy to combat elder abuse. Not only has he contributed to our epidemiological understanding of elder abuse, but like a true Change AGEnt, he has put his knowledge to use and is working to change policies and drive action at the local, national, and international level.

Michael W. Rich Michael W. Rich

Michael W. Rich, MD, AGSF, professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and a pioneer in geriatric cardiology, will receive the prestigious Edward Henderson Award and deliver the Henderson State-of-the-Art Lecture. Dr. Rich has been a mentor to T. Franklin Williams Scholars and has contributed to our Hartford project to integrate geriatrics into the subspecialties of internal medicine. He has also helped resurrect a geriatric cardiology curriculum for fellows that we supported through a grant to the American College of Cardiology.

Elizabeth Tanner Elizabeth Tanner

Elizabeth (Ibby) Tanner, PhD, RN, associate professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is receiving the Dennis W. Jahnigen Memorial Award for providing outstanding leadership training for students in geriatrics and contributing to the progress of geriatrics education in health professions schools. Dr. Tanner was a Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing Research Scholar and her school of nursing is one of the new Hartford Centers for Gerontological Nursing Excellence.

And of course, we want to recognize our own Cory Rieder, PhD, our executive director and treasurer, who is the well-deserved honoree for the David H. Solomon Memorial Public Service Award. Cory has been a passionate advocate for older adults. At the helm of our Foundation since 1998, she has helped launch programs such as the Paul B. Beeson Career Development Awards program, which she has helped continue by fostering its development as a novel public-private partnership.

Paul E. McGann Paul E. McGann

We also would like to extend best wishes to Paul E. McGann, MD, deputy chief medical officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, on his selection as the recipient of the Nascher Manning Award.

Congratulations to all of the other Hartford grantees and friends who are receiving awards this year:

John Dodson, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a T. Franklin Williams Scholar, is one of the New Investigator Award winners.

Ravi Parikh, MD, of Harvard Medical School, is an MSTAR scholar who is receiving the Edward J. Henderson Student Award.

Julie Thai of Michigan State University and Lucille Brunker of the University of Utah are also MSTAR scholars who are receiving Clinical Student Research Awards.

Sarah Berry, MD, MPH, of the Institute for Aging Research affiliated with Harvard Medical School, was a Hartford Health Outcomes Research Scholar and is receiving the Outstanding Junior Investigator of the Year Award.

Danelle Cayea, MD, MS, of Johns Hopkins University, is receiving the Outstanding Junior Clinical Teacher of the Year Award. Danelle is a Center of Excellence in Geriatric Medicine scholar.

Louise Aronson, MD, a faculty member affiliated with the University of California San Francisco Center of Excellence in Geriatric Medicine and friend of the Hartford Foundation, is receiving the Outstanding Mid-career Clinical Teacher of the Year Award.

And the winner of the Outstanding Junior Clinical Education Manuscript Award is Erika Manu, MD, of the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System. Erika is a Hartford Center of Excellence in Geriatric Medicine Scholar at the University of Michigan.

For information on all of this year’s award winners, read the AGS press release.