April 23, 2007

As Research Network Director, Dr. Gravenstein will lead efforts to study diseases and conditions of aging, including physician attitudes and practices, and translate this research into practice. In addition to his role with the Network, he is Clinical Director of the National Nursing Home Quality Improvement Organization Support Center (NHQIOSC) at Quality Partners of Rhode Island, a national leader in health care quality improvement and the Medicare QIO for the state of Rhode Island. Additionally, he is Professor of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Geriatrics, and John Franklin Endowed Chair at the Glennan Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology at Eastern Virginia Medical School.

"I look forward to working with the Foundation and Research Network members to take our research efforts to the next level," said Dr. Gravenstein. "The practitioners who participate in this organization — especially the young investigator — need guidance and support; and we want to be able to provide this."

Dr. Gravenstein succeeds Jurgis Karusa, PhD, who served as Interim Director for over a year while the Foundation conducted an extensive search for the best candidate for this position. Prior to that, Larry Lawhorne, MD, was the Research Network's first Director for nearly five years. Ultimately, the AMDA Foundation Board considered several applicants before choosing Dr. Gravenstein.

In addition to being an experienced researcher and academician, Dr. Gravenstein has been involved in the Research Network for several years and has led several studies. He also has been a presenter at the AMDA Annual Symposium; and he is a contributor to the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. In 2000, he received honorable mention for JAMDA's Annual Outstanding Contributor Award.

"This is an exciting time for long term care research, and we are pleased and honored to have Dr. Gravenstein leading our Research Network. This organization has unlimited potential, and we are confident that he will enable us to involve more researchers than ever before and to expand the numbers and types of studies we support and undertake," said AMDA Foundation Chair, Jonathan Musher, MD, CMD.

The AMDA Foundation established the Research Network to undertake studies on geriatrics and long term care topics and to translate this research into practice. The organization also has sought to support novice and experienced researchers in their efforts. Additionally, the group serves as the long term care arm of the national Physicians Inquiries Network. To date, there are nearly 400 long term care practitioners who are members of the AMDA Foundation's Research Network.