High on the list of the Society's priorities for the coming year is expanding its public policy and advocacy roles. Among other things, the Society continues to advocate for public policy aimed at addressing the nationwide shortage of geriatrics healthcare providers - a shortage that is expected to worsen over the next two decades as the nation's 77 million Baby Boomers reach retirement age. Below-market-rate reimbursement for care to Medicare beneficiaries is a leading contributor to the shortage of geriatricians, physicians specializing in the care of older people.
"We need the public and policy makers to understand that the best way to provide quality care for older adults efficiently and affordably is by having people who know how to provide that care in place," Dr. Semla says. "Not every older person is going to be cared for by a professional trained specifically in geriatrics - that's unrealistic. But it's essential that there's adequate incentive to pursue a career in geriatrics and that all healthcare providers are familiar with the principles of geriatrics care."
An AGS member since 1986, Dr. Semla was the Secretary of the Society's Board of Directors from 2005 to 2006 and a member of the board from 2000 to 2005. He has been a member of several AGS committees, task forces and groups, including the AGS Annual Meeting Program Committee and the Public Education Committee, of which he was vice-chair. Since 1996 he has been a member of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Editorial Board and a member of the Editorial Board of Annals of Long-Term Care since 2002. He was an author and the Consulting Editor on Pharmacotherapy for the 5th and 6th editions of the Geriatrics Review Syllabus.
A leading expert on pharmacotherapy for older adults, Dr. Semla is a Board Certified Pharmacotherapist, a member of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Panel on Unnecessary Drugs and a member of the Pharmacotherapy Self Assessment Program's Editorial Board. He is the recipient of numerous research grants and awards, and is the author or co-author of more than 80 scientific studies, reports, books, abstracts, and reviews.
The American Geriatrics Society also named several other officers and Board members today. John Murphy, MD, was named President-Elect; Sharon A. Brangman, MD, was appointed Treasurer; and Cheryl Phillips, MD, was named Secretary for a second one-year term. Sally Brooks, MD, and Peter Rabins, MD, were elected to the Board of Directors.
ABOUT THE AGS
Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (www.americangeriatrics.org) is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence, and quality of life of all older people. The Society supports this mission through activities in clinical practice, professional and public education, research, and public policy. With an active membership of over 6,700 health care professionals, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies, and practices in geriatric medicine. |
