Written by Kim Furlow, communications manager for the Institute for Public Health
How we care for people with serious illness has evolved rapidly in recent years. New technologies, new approaches, high tech and high touch advances are driving a revolution in improving quality of life and end of life. The 2022 Friedman Lecture and Awards recently held as a live and virtual event highlighted the work of health care innovators and their efforts to revolutionize end of life care.
Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging Director, Nancy Morrow-Howell, Phd, the Bettie Bofinger Brown Distinguished Professor of Social Policy at the Brown School, introduced the event with an update on the center’s work across both campuses which includes studies on age diversity and inclusion on campus and that of other universities in the U.S. The center has presented and published tools (background paper, issue briefs and infographics) on the often-overlooked issue of ageism and, through its WashU for Life Initiative, the center continues to work toward a goal of age diversity and inclusion on campus; and that aging issues are included in the university’s educational opportunities.
The annual Friedman Lecture is also a time to recognize outstanding work in the field of aging. Congratulations to the following 2022 awardees:
The Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Award for Excellence in Service to Older Adults
Pamela Merkle, Executive Director, Association on Aging with Developmental Disabilities
The Alene and Meyer Kopolow Award for Geriatrics, Psychiatry and Neurology
Andrea Denny, JD, MSSW, Instructor in Neurology, Washington University School of
Medicine and Outreach, Recruitment & Engagement Core Leader, Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center
The Mark S. Wrighton Research Award on Aging
Judge’s Choice: Hannah Maybrier, PhD candidate in clinical psychology
People’s Choice: Lucia Capano, PhD candidate, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences
Read awardee and speaker bios in the event program.
The event’s keynote speaker, Patrick White, MD, is chief medical officer of BJC Home Care and Hospice, Stokes Family Endowed Chair in Palliative Medicine and Supportive Care, and chief of the Division of Palliative Care Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. In his robust keynote, White discussed:
- Differences between palliative and hospice care
- “Amazing advances in medicine” relative to the end of life
- Rating end of life care (dying at home, hospice services and not being in the ICU in the last 30 days of life were selected by surveyed patients as the most important aspects of palliative care)
- Best practices for communicating with patients and families during serious illness or the end of life
- How to fix the gap in supports for caregivers (one in five adults, or 50 million+ people, are caregivers for a family member)
- Inequities in palliative care (Black patients are less likely to obtain their desired intensity of care)
The event featured a panel of experts on serious illness care, each presenting a brief synopsis of their work:
- Karla Washington, PhD, LCSW, associate professor of medicine, WUSTL Division of Palliative Medicine
- Devin Odom, MD, assistant professor of medicine, WUSTL Division of Hospital Medicine
- Keisha White, MD, MPH, assistant professor of pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics
- Nathan Moore, MD, internal medicine specialist, BJC Medical Group
- Moderator: Brian Carpenter, PhD, professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences in Arts & Sciences and faculty lead for educational initiatives in aging at the Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging
White closed with a slide of a Wisconsin city, which has been voted, “the best place to die in the U.S.” based on their palliative care. White reflected that there “is still hope” that St. Louis could receive this distinction.
Watch the 2022 Friedman Lecture & Awards presentation.
The 21st Annual Friedman Lecture and Awards received support from the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Endowment for Aging at The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital. This annual event celebrates the latest in ideas and research in aging as well as provides an opportunity to recognize professionals providing outstanding service in the field.
The Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Award is supported by The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital from the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Fund.
The Alene and Meyer Kopolow Award for Geriatrics, Psychiatry and Neurology is supported by the Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital from the Alene and Meyer Kopolow Fund for Geriatrics, Psychiatry and Neurology.
The Mark S. Wrighton Award and 3MT competition is supported by The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital from the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Fund.