Laura Mosqueda, MD, expert on preventing elder abuse, to deliver #AGS19 Henderson Lecture

The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today announced that Laura Mosqueda, MD, AGSF, Dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, will deliver the prestigious Henderson State-of-the-Art Lecture at the AGS 2019 Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS19; May 2-4 in Portland, Ore.). Her talk, Disrupting the Silent Winter: Geriatrics Role in Stopping Elder Abuse, will discuss the state-of-the-art in elder abuse identification, treatment and prevention, a subject on which she’s one of the country’s foremost experts. Dr. Mosqueda’s talk will examine geriatrics’ approach to elder abuse in clinical practice, research and education, including how the field has advanced, ongoing challenges, future horizons, and the vital role of geriatrics health professionals.

“As one of the first geriatrics health professionals to lead a major medical school, Dr. Mosqueda is helping steer medicine–and medical education–toward a deeper appreciation for meeting our needs as we age,” notes Laurie G. Jacobs, MD, AGSF, AGS President. “In a fundamental way, that begins by ending the mistreatment of older adults with the type of strong social supports Dr. Mosqueda is so well known for identifying.”

Long recognized as an advocate for older adults, Dr. Mosqueda has testified before Congress and served as an expert for the White House and federal agencies on a host of social justice initiatives aimed at identifying, addressing, and preventing the abuse of older people. She directs the National Center on Elder Abuse, a federally funded program that focuses on improving the response to abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation in all forms. In 2003, she co-founded the first Elder Abuse Forensic Center in the United States, bringing together diverse stakeholders, including geriatricians, pharmacists, gero-psychologists, social workers, adult protective services, law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates, and others to evaluate and where appropriate intervene in complicated cases of suspected mistreatment.

Dr. Mosqueda, a Keck School alumna trained in family medicine and geriatrics, was appointed Dean of her alma mater in 2018. She now oversees more than 1,850 full-time faculty physicians and researchers who direct the education of nearly 2,000 medical and graduate students, as well as 900 resident physicians annually. Her oversight includes a broad community-outreach component to under-served neighborhoods surrounding the medical school campus, which underscores the university’s commitment to access while helping to diversify the medical student body for more perspectives, better science, and improved patient care. She brings to her work a deep appreciation for how changing demographics and increased longevity necessitate a deeper appreciation for the physical, financial, and social needs of older adults.

An AGS member since 1984, Dr. Mosequeda has also served as President of the Association of Directors of Geriatric Academic Programs (ADGAP) and has contributed to scores of presentations and research publications on elder abuse, geriatric medicine, and geriatric training across medical specialties.

Dr. Mosqueda rejoined the Keck School in 2015, first as Chair of Family Medicine and Associate Dean of Primary Care, and later as Interim Dean. Dr. Mosqueda previously worked at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine for fourteen years. She is the first woman to lead the Keck School of Medicine since its founding in 1885.

Edward Henderson, MD, namesake of the Henderson State-of-the-Art Lecture, was a beloved and respected geriatrician who served the AGS in several capacities, most notably as President, Vice President, and Executive Director. For more than two decades, Dr. Henderson’s devoted efforts on behalf of the AGS made him an international authority in human aging and geriatric medicine. The Edward Henderson Award 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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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.

The late Edward Henderson, MD, was a renowned geriatrics researcher and physician and an instrumental leader for the AGS. The Edward Henderson Award is conferred upon a distinguished clinician, educator, or researcher who also delivers the Henderson State-of-the-Art Lecture on a topic related to the body of his or her work at 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.