UCSF’s Dr. Lindsay Hampson to be honored at #AGS21 for Research on Geriatrics and Urology

New York, NY (April 28, 2021)–Advancing care for older people across health specialties, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the AGS Health in Aging Foundation today announced that Lindsay A. Hampson, MD, MAS, of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) will receive this year’s Jeffrey H. Silverstein Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in the Surgical and Related Medical Specialties. Presented at the AGS 2021 Virtual Annual Scientific Meeting (#AGS21), held May 13-15 online, the award will recognize Dr. Hampson for accelerating research at the intersection of geriatrics and urology.

“Since the early 1990s, the AGS has been working toward its vision of a world where physicians across all medical and surgical specialties have basic knowledge and skills in geriatrics, the unique health care we all need as we age,” notes AGS President Annie Medina-Walpole, MD, AGSF, AGS President. “Trailblazing researchers like Dr. Hampson are building the tools and knowledge other specialists need to improve the wellbeing of all Americans as we age.”

A board-certified urologist with a background in bioethics and advanced training in clinical research and male genitourinary reconstructive surgery, Dr. Hampson is an Assistant Professor of Urology and Associate Program Director of the Urology Residency Program at UCSF, as well as a current participant in the Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists’ Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) program. Her research focuses on the intersection of urology and geriatrics to improve patient-centered decision-making for older adults with urologic conditions that affect their quality of life. This is based on her own experiences counseling and caring for patients with male stress urinary continence (SUI), a leakage of urine during moments of physical activity that increases abdominal pressure, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, or exercise.

In the study she will present at #AGS21, “Prevalence of Geriatric Conditions in Older Men with Stress Urinary Incontinence,” Dr. Hampson and her team at UCSF and the San Francisco VA Medical Center took a first step toward improving the decision-making process around surgery for older men with SUI by understanding the health characteristics and treatment choices of this vulnerable patient population. Dr. Hampson’s research suggests that multimorbidity (living with two or more chronic illness), dependence on others for help with the activities of daily living, frailty, and limited life expectancy are common among older men with SUI. These geriatric conditions, however, do not drive current treatment choices. Researchers conclude that is it important to identify characteristics like multimorbidity and mortality risk, along with patients’ goals and values, to provide individualized counseling and promote goal-concordant treatment decisions.

In addition to conducting research, Dr. Hampson is also a strong advocate for health systems that meet our needs as we age. She is leading efforts at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (SFVAMC) to incorporate geriatrics principles in urologic care and make the SFVAMC urology clinic the first VA system to earn the Age-Friendly Health System designation from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement. She also is helping to lead SFVAMC Urology through the American College of Surgeons’ Geriatric Surgery Verification program.

Dr. Hampson is the author of 39 peer-reviewed publications, including studies on the impact of frailty on surgery for male stress incontinence and patient-centered decision for urethral stricture surgery. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in bioethics from Duke University, her medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School, and her Master of Applied Science from UCSF.

The Silverstein Memorial Award is one of several honors conferred by the AGS at its Annual Scientific Meeting. The 2020 and 2021 award recipients, all of whom will be honored at the AGS 20201 Virtual Scientific Meeting, include more than 30 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 Health in Aging Foundation is a national non-profit established in 1999 by the American Geriatrics Society to bring the knowledge and expertise of geriatrics healthcare professionals to the public. We are committed to ensuring that people are empowered to advocate for high-quality care by providing them with trustworthy information and reliable resources. Last year, we reached nearly 1 million people with our resources through HealthinAging.org. We also help nurture current and future geriatrics leaders by supporting opportunities to attend educational events and increase exposure to principles of excellence on caring for older adults. For more information or to support the Foundation’s work, visit HealthinAging.org.

The Silverstein Memorial Award for Emerging Investigators in the Surgical and Related Medical Specialties recognizes emerging researchers across health care committed to careers in aging. Their geriatrics-focused work in surgical and other medical specialties helps to advance the unique care we all need as we age.

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 2,000 nurses, pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants, social workers, long-term care and managed care providers, healthcare administrators, and others will convene virtually May 13-15 2021 (pre-conference program on May 12) to advance geriatrics knowledge and skills through state-of-the-art educational sessions and research presentations. For more information, visit Meeting.AmericanGeriatrics.org.