ESPO and Butler-Williams Scientific Symposium: Disrupting Health Disparities and Transforming Care of Older Adults

Abstract

Abstract The NIA’s Butler-Williams Scholars Program and GSA’s ESPO Section are united in providing career development opportunities in a manner that promotes leadership, diversity, and inclusivity. Our emerging scholars are called to examine health inequity and overcome barriers by continuous and incremental improvements (disruption) or dramatic change (transformation) to improve health and access to care for our diverse aging population. Among the chief concerns of our aging population are disparities in health associated with race/ethnicity, experience, sociocultural and socioeconomic factors. GSA’s early career professionals and 2020 alumni of the prestigious NIA Butler-Williams Scholars Program address these issues. Dr. Karen Moss will discuss new findings from a study of African American caregivers of persons living with dementia. Dr. Jasmine Travers will present on mitigating disparities in access to long-term services and supports among older adults. Dr. Maricruz Rivera-Hernandez, will present current work on aging and care delivery or health of Hispanic older adults, including impact of COVID19 in Hispanic groups. Dr. Marc Garcia will present on interaction of race/ethnicity, nativity, and gender with key social and economic factors on health, COVID19, and aging. Finally, Dr. Shana Stites will present on social challenges in advancing diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease dementia. The featured talks by rising stars deepen our understanding of the influence of health disparity so we can disrupt inequity and transform systems of care across our diverse aging populations.