AGS honors late Dr. Arti Hurria for vision, leadership propelling geriatrics

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) will recognize the late Arti Hurria, MD, a geriatrics oncologist who was one our country’s most passionate advocates for older adults with cancer, with the David H. Solomon Public Service Award. Dr. Hurria, who tragically passed away in November 2018, was committed to improving the geriatrics competence of all physicians and health professionals–like David H. Solomon, MD, namesake for this award. Dr. Hurria set the standard for interprofessional collaboration between researchers in aging and those from other specialties. Her husband, Thomas Lee, MD, will accept the award on her behalf at the AGS 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS19), May 2-4 in Portland, Ore.

“We are privileged to work in a profession attuned to the memory of those who have gone before us,” notes Laurie G. Jacobs, MD, AGSF, AGS President. “The model Dr. Hurria set of servant leadership continues to benefit her colleagues and older adults. We, like many others, will continue to carry that legacy forward.”

Dr. Hurria joined the AGS in 2006 and championed some of the Society’s most influential programs connecting other specialists to geriatrics principles, and to the rewards of caring for older adults. Dr. Hurria was Chair of the AGS Cancer and Aging Special Interest Group and the AGS Medical Specialties Section. At the time of her death, she was Principal Investigator for an AGS grant from the National Institute on Aging supporting a conference series for the Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists’ Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) program. This grant epitomized Dr. Hurria’s interests, enthusiasm, and collaborative spirit.

Like the GEMSSTAR scholars and countless other colleagues, collaborators, and trainees she supported, Dr. Hurria believed deeply in the need to infuse geriatrics into all specialties. She not only put that belief into action, but she also became a model for making it a priority in geriatrics, oncology, and beyond. Along with being a world-class researcher, she was an ardent champion for team-based, interprofessional care and for integrating geriatrics principles into education so that all patients and families could receive person-centered, high-quality care.

Before her passing, Dr. Hurria was the George Tsai Family Chair in Geriatric Oncology, the founding Director of the Center for Cancer and Aging and the Vice-Provost for Academic Affairs at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif. With a focus on improving cancer treatments, daily functioning and quality of life for older cancer patients, Dr. Hurria was honored with multiple awards across her career. She did her accelerated 7-year combined undergraduate and medical school training at Northwestern University in Chicago, completed her residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and her fellowships in geriatrics at the Harvard Geriatrics Fellowship Program and her medical oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. After joining Memorial as a faculty member, she transitioned to City of Hope in California. She was the proud and devoted mother to her daughter Serena, whom she adored.

Established by the AGS in 2002, the David H. Solomon Public Service Award celebrates the legacy of David H. Solomon, MD, AGSF, a renowned geriatrician committed to community service and advancing knowledge about the care of older individuals. It is one of several honors conferred by the AGS at its Annual Scientific Meeting. The 2019 award recipients include more than 20 healthcare leaders representing the depth and breadth of disciplines championing care for older adults. For more information, visit Meeting.AmericanGeriatrics.org.

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About the American Geriatrics Society

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals that has–for more than 75 years–worked to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of older people. Its nearly 6,000 members include geriatricians, geriatric nurses, social workers, family practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and internists. The Society provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy. For more information, visit AmericanGeriatrics.org.

About the David H. Solomon Public Service Award

The AGS created the David H. Solomon Public Service Award in 2002 to honor David H. Solomon, MD, AGSF, for his commitment to community service and the advancement of knowledge in caring for older adults. Dr. Solomon was the founding Director of the Center on Aging at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. He will forever be remembered for his excellence in research, teaching, patient care, and administration.

About the AGS Annual Scientific Meeting

The AGS Annual Scientific Meeting is the premier educational event in geriatrics, providing the latest information on clinical care, research on aging, and innovative models of care delivery. More than 2,500 nurses, pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants, social workers, long-term care and managed care providers, healthcare administrators, and others will convene May 2-4, 2019 (pre-conference program on May 1), at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore., to advance geriatrics knowledge and skills through state-of-the-art educational sessions and research presentations. For more information, visit Meeting.AmericanGeriatrics.org.