The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) -- the nation's largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging -- has chosen Robyn I. Stone, DrPH, of LeadingAge as the 2016 recipient of the Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Productive Aging.
This honor, given annually, recognizes instances of practice informed by research and analysis, research that directly improved policy or practice, and distinction in bridging the worlds of research and practice. Individuals who are mid-career and actively engaged in the conception and development of innovative programs that demonstrate excellence in translating research into practical application or policy are eligible. The award is made possible through a generous grant from The New York Community Trust's Maxwell A. Pollack Fund.
The award presentation will take place at GSA's 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held from November 16 to 20 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This conference is organized to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, educators, and practitioners who specialize in the study of the aging process. Visit http://www.geron.org/2016 for further details.
Stone is the executive director of the Center for Applied Research and senior vice president of research at LeadingAge. She is a noted researcher and leading international authority on aging and long-term care policy. Among Stone's professional accomplishments are her leadership of the first systematic data collection and analysis of family caregiving; her analysis of financing mechanisms for long-term services and supports related to insurance arrangements; and her work on evaluating and analyzing the performance and design of programs that provide housing with services for low-income older adults.
She oversaw the three-state Cash and Counseling Demonstration and Evaluation in the 1990s that provided the evidence and framework for consumer direction programs nationwide. She was responsible for the formation of the Better Jobs, Better Care national initiative -- five state-based coalitions and eight research projects focused on improving the education, job quality, and compensation of direct care workers. The research findings from this initiative directly influenced policy development and practice at state and local levels regarding long-term care workforce training, compensation, and job design.
Stone has held research and policy positions in the federal government and the private sector. She served as the deputy assistant secretary for disability, aging, and long-term care policy and as acting assistant secretary for aging in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Clinton administration. She also was a senior researcher at the National Center for Health Services Research (now known as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) as well as at Project Hope's Center for Health Affairs. Additionally, Stone was on the staff of the 1989 Bipartisan Commission on Comprehensive Health Care and the 1993 Clinton administration's Task Force on Health Care Reform. Stone is a GSA fellow, which is the highest class of membership within the Society, and is a past chair of GSA's Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2015.
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The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) is the nation's oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The principal mission of the Society -- and its 5,500+ members -- is to advance the study of aging and disseminate information among scientists, decision makers, and the general public. GSA's structure also includes a policy institute, the National Academy on an Aging Society, and an educational branch, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education.