Quick view: June 22, 2009, 6/28/2009, 9/20/2009, 10/5/2009,

You are invited to Donate to the Bettye Rose Connell, Ph.D. Center for Health and Aging Memorial Fund. 


Emory University Geriatric Medicine news and updates

October 5, 2009

International Day of Older Persons 2009

Today the Administration on Aging will join the world community in celebrating the 19th Annual Celebration of the International Day of Older Persons. This special day recognizes the contributions of older persons and draws continued attention to the issues of global aging.

This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Older Persons. The theme - "Towards a Society for All Ages" - continues to guide nations in creating communities for both young and old. In his message for the International Day of Older Persons, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon noted that this motto emphasizes the need to treat older persons as both agents and beneficiaries of development. This emphasis on the positive contributions of older persons -- and the United Nations Principles for Older Persons -- take on even greater importance as the world struggles to confront global food, energy, climate, financial and economic crises. Secretary Ban Ki Moon also urged nations to end age discrimination, abuse, neglect and violence against older persons.

For more information about this year's celebration of the International Day of Older Persons, go to http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/un_meetings.html.

The NLRC e-lert is a publication of the National Legal Resource Center, a collaborative effort developed by the Administration on Aging, US Department of Health and Human Services. The NLRC e-lert is produced by the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging in tandem with it's NLRC partners, The Center for Elder Rights Advocacy, the Center for Social Gerontology, National Consumer Law Center, and National Senior Citizens Law Center. For more information, contact NLRC e-lert editor David Godfrey at godfreyd@staff.abanet.org.

David Godfrey

Senior Attorney

American Bar Association

Commission on Law and Aging

740 15th Street NW

Washington, DC 20005

202-662-8694

202-662-8698 (fax)

godfreyd@staff.abanet.org

www.abanet.org




September 20, 2009

BRC

Our friend and colleague, Bettye Rose Connell, passed away at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 13, 2009. Her steadfast presence and strong, independent voice will be missed by many, many people.

Bettye Rose Connell, Ph.D., served as a Health Research Scientist in the Atlanta Rehabilitation Research and Development Center at the Atlanta VA Medical Center; Director of Research for the Atlanta Site of the Birmingham/Atlanta VA Geriatrics Research, Education and Clinical Center; and was an Assistant Professor of Medicine in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at Emory University. She served for long periods on both the Emory Institutional Review Board and the Atlanta VA Medical Center's Research and Development Committee. In these capacities, she had a quick mind and a fine eye for details.

Dr. Connell's career interests focused on the physical and social environment in long-term care and its effect on sleep, behavior, and quality of life for the frail and elderly. She had a great affection for the under-represented and spent her life advocating for them. Her tireless commitment and advocacy for the elderly and her efforts to improve their lives show through the lives of those she taught, led, and mentored. Her attention to quality in her academic work resulted in many grants, publications, and projects.

Bettye Rose will be remembered fondly for her attention to detail, insistence on quality work, respect for her colleagues, and her advocacy for those older adults she served. She was loved by so many and will be remembered for eternity.

Eulogy by Dr. Johnson (click here)





June 28, 2009

Who would you call if one of your loved ones was sick? Atlanta magazine, in its July 2009 issue, asked local physicians to name their top choices. Click here for the complete list.

Congratulations to the Division faculty on the list:

  • Jonathan Flacker, Geriatric MedicineMonica Parker, Family Medicine

  • Monica Parker, Family Medicine







Ted Johnson Named Division Director of Geriatrics

June 22, 2009

Ted JohnsonTheodore M. Johnson, II has been named division director of Geriatrics, effective July 1, 2009. Johnson earned his M.D. degree from Northwestern University and performed his residency training at the University of North Carolina. Following a fellowship in Geriatrics, he earned a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, focusing on urinary incontinence. He is an expert on this topic, with more than 40 publications, and numerous invited talks.

Wayne Alexander, DOM chair, praised Johnson for his contributions to the Department. "Ted has been serving capably as interim director for the last 18 months. The Department of Medicine and the broader university have already benefited enormously from his leadership, so we are excited that he has agreed to accept this position permanently."

He added that "Ted has a strong interest in education, and he has been very involved in the Geriatric Residency program. He is recognized as a superb clinician with special expertise in extended care and rehabilitation."

Johnson is excited about the possibilities of the new position. "I think this is a tremendous opportunity and a great time for geriatrics, with issues such as health care reform, rising health care costs, and coordinated care for older people. This is what geriatrics is all about, and Emory is perfectly positioned to lead in the field. He adds, "I'm interested in making sure Geriatrics research finds answers to help people age without relying on long-term care--through liveable communities and other advancements in aging."

Johnson is married to Susan Johnson, and has three girls, Margaret, Bridget, and Erin Rose, who attend the Paideia School.