Title: Preview of the 2004 Gerontological Health Section Program

Author:

Section/SPIG: Aging & Public Health

Issue Date:

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First, I would like to extend a welcome to Kathy Sykes, Senior Advisor of the Enivironmenal Protection Agency's Aging Initiative, who has joined me this year as program co-chair. In 2003 and in the upcoming 2004 Gerontological Health Section (GHS) program, Kathy has co-organized a session on the environmental health of elders with Andrew Geller, Research Psychologist in the Neurotoxicology Division also at the EPA. In addition, this year Kathy has organized a symposium with other GHS leadership on the future of aging policy.

Another invited symposium that was organized by Gerry Eggert will include panelists from the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and will examine Medicare after the prescription drug benefit. Gerry has also organized a scientific session on Medicare and the health of rural elders.

Past program Chair Dana Mukamel has organized a session on lessons learned from PACE.

Highlights of other sessions include:

· the social environment of older adults;
· older women and public health;
· workforce for an aging society;
· physical activity and older adults;
· health promotion and healthy aging;
· long-term care; and
· elders’ oral and vision health.

Last but not least, at this year’s awards presentations the GHS Leadership Award will be renamed in honor of the late Dr. Philip G. Weiler, one of the section’s co-founders.

In closing, I would like to thank all of the GHS members who helped with reviewing abstracts for the 2004 program and extend a special thank you to Caryn Etkin, one of the GHS student members who helped me with the abstract reviews.