American Geriatrics Society

American Geriatrics Society
Name	American Geriatrics Society
Abbreviation	AGS
Formation	1942
Headquarters	New York City
Type	Professional association
Membership	Physicians, researchers, allied health professionals
Leader title	President

American Geriatrics Society is a professional association focused on improving the health, independence, and quality of life of older adults through clinical practice, research, education, and public policy. Founded amid mid-20th century medical institutional growth, the organization links clinicians, researchers, and policymakers across academic centers, hospitals, and community settings. It interacts with federal agencies, academic societies, and philanthropic organizations to influence geriatrics care and research agendas.

History

The organization was established in 1942 during a period shaped by figures and institutions such as William Osler, National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Mayo Clinic, and Harvard Medical School. Early development paralleled initiatives at Social Security Act expansions, World War II veteran care programs, American Medical Association specialty recognition efforts, and the emergence of gerontology units at Columbia University, University of California, San Francisco, and University of Pennsylvania. Postwar decades saw collaboration with entities like U.S. Public Health Service, National Institute on Aging, Rockefeller Foundation, and Ford Foundation to expand training, which later intersected with policy milestones such as Medicare (United States), Medicaid, and the Older Americans Act. Influential clinicians and researchers associated with the society engaged with organizations including Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Centers, Veterans Health Administration, American Board of Internal Medicine, and international groups such as British Geriatrics Society and International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

Mission and Leadership

The society’s mission emphasizes clinical excellence and evidence-based care, aligning with guidance from entities like Institute of Medicine, World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Food and Drug Administration. Governance historically involves leaders from academic institutions such as Yale School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford University School of Medicine, University of Michigan, and Duke University School of Medicine. Past presidents and officers have had associations with awards and organizations including the MacArthur Fellows Program, Rockefeller University, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and professional groups like American Board of Family Medicine and Society of Hospital Medicine.

Membership and Chapters

Membership includes clinicians and researchers affiliated with institutions such as Mount Sinai Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Scripps Research. The society maintains state and regional chapters connected to networks like American College of Physicians, American Academy of Family Physicians, Association of American Medical Colleges, and regional consortiums such as New York Academy of Medicine and California Association of Long Term Care Medicine. Members often collaborate with professional organizations including Association of American Medical Colleges, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Health Resources and Services Administration, and specialty boards like American Board of Internal Medicine.

Education and Training

Educational programs intersect with graduate medical education at institutions such as Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Training initiatives reference competency frameworks from organizations like Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, American Board of Medical Specialties, National Board of Medical Examiners, and pedagogy influenced by textbooks and monographs published by Oxford University Press, Elsevier, and Springer Nature. Fellowship curricula engage with programs at University of California, San Diego, Emory University School of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, and community partners such as Area Agencies on Aging.

Research and Publications

The society produces clinical practice guidelines, position statements, and scholarship that intersect with research supported by National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and academic journals including Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, and specialty journals. Its publications address topics studied at centers like Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Mayo Clinic Proceedings, Berkeley Center on Aging, and research networks such as Clinical and Translational Science Awards and Health Care Systems Research Network. Collaborative research links investigators from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Yale School of Public Health, Brown University, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.

Advocacy and Policy

The society engages in advocacy related to federal programs and legislation including Medicare (United States), Affordable Care Act, Older Americans Act, Social Security Act, and Medicaid-related policy, working with stakeholder organizations such as AARP, National Governors Association, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Affairs (journal), and Kaiser Family Foundation. Policy efforts intersect with regulatory agencies like Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Food and Drug Administration, and research funders including National Institutes of Health and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and involve coalitions with groups such as American Hospital Association, LeadingAge, National PACE Association, and Long Term Care Ombudsman Program.

Awards and Conferences

Annual meetings and awards bring together clinicians and researchers connected to conferences at venues used by American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Gerontological Society of America, and international gatherings like World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics. Honors and recognitions parallel prizes and lectures named in association with institutions such as Johns Hopkins, Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, Mount Sinai, University of California, Los Angeles, and foundations including Gates Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Scientific sessions feature symposia with collaborators from National Institute on Aging, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and professional partners such as American Geriatrics Society Foundation and American Board of Medical Specialties.

Category:Medical associations based in the United States